Transneuronally transported wheat germ agglutinin labels glia as well as neurons in the rat visual system

Journal Article · Wed Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.902610310· OSTI ID:6025292

Rhodes, C H; Stieber, A; Gonatas, N K

Following intraocular injection in adult rats of /sup 125/I-labeled wheat germ agglutinin (I-WGA), the ultrastructural distribution of label in the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate was examined by electron microscope autoradiography. Three days after injection, 5.4% of the label in the lateral geniculate was associated with neuronal perikarya, and 3.6% was associated with glial perikarya. The corresponding figures for the superior colliculus were 5.1% and 0.8%. When the data were expressed as number of grains per micron 2 cytoplasm, there was no statistically significant difference between the grain density over neuronal or glial cytoplasm in either the lateral geniculate or the superior colliculus. A statistical analysis of the distance between the silver grains and the cell membranes showed that in both neurons and glia, the observed labeling was the product of internalized I-WGA and not the result of scatter from the neuropil or from label bound to the surface of the cells. These results indicate that much of the WGA released from axons and axon terminals is not confined to a specific ''transsynaptic'' pathway, but produces a generalized labeling of nearby cells, much like a microinjection of WGA into the region.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• OSTI ID: 6025292
• Journal Information: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States) Vol. 261:3; ISSN JCNEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AGGLUTININS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
ANTIBODIES
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CYTOPLASM
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EYES
FACE
HEAD
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLING
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
MEMBRANES
MICROSCOPY
NERVE CELLS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RATS
RODENTS
SENSE ORGANS
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES