NOS-positive local circuit neurons are exclusively axo-dendritic cells both in the neo- and archi-cortex of the rat brain.
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-containing neurons and axon terminals were examined in the rat somatosensory and temporal neocortex, in the CA3/a-c areas of Ammon's horn and in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. In these areas, only nonpyramidal neurons were labeled with the antibody against nNOS. Previous observations suggested that all nNOS-positive nonpyramidal cells are GABAergic local circuit neurons, which form exclusively symmetric synapses. In agreement with this, nNOS-positive axon terminals in the hippocampal formation formed symmetric synapses exclusively with dendritic shafts. In the neocortex, in contrast, in addition to the nNOS-positive axon terminals that formed synapses with unlabeled spiny and aspiny dendrites and with nNOS-positive aspiny dendrites, a small proportion of the nNOS-positive axon terminals formed symmetric synapses with dendritic spines. These results suggest that nNOS-positive local circuit neurons form a distinct group of axo-dendritic cells displaying slightly different domain specificity in the archi- and neocortex. However, nNOS-positive cells show no target selectivity, because they innervate principal cells and local circuit neurons. Afferents to the NOS-positive cells display neither domain nor target selectivity, because small unlabeled terminals formed synapses with both the soma or dendrites of nNOS-positive neurons and an adjacent unlabeled dendrite or spine in both the hippocampal formation and in neocortex.
Seress
László
L
Central Electron Microscopic Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, 7643 Pécs, Hungary.
Abrahám
Hajnalka
H
Hajnal
András
A
Lin
Hong
H
Totterdell
Susan
S
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron / Q000379:methods; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I