CALCIUM-BINDING PROTEINS IN THE SUBSTANTIA-NIGRA AND VENTRAL TEGMENTAL AREA DURING DEVELOPMENT - CORRELATION WITH DOPAMINERGIC COMPARTMENTALIZATION

The importance of calcium in neuronal function has been amply demonstr ated in recent years. The discovery of a class of proteins within neur ons which bind calcium, therefore, has proven to be a catalyst for the generation of theories and hypotheses regarding mechanisms of neuroto xicity in the CNS. In addition, the distribution of certain calcium-bi nding proteins changes during neural development, suggesting that they may play a role in organization or pattern generation. We have examin ed the ontogeny of three related calcium-binding proteins, calbindin-D 28, parvalbumin and calretinin, with respect to the ventral and dorsal compartments or tiers of the dopaminergic population in the ventral m idbrain. Single and dual-label immunocytochemistry was employed to map the distributions of calcium-binding proteins and tyrosine hydroxylas e from Els through adulthood. The results show that each of the three proteins exhibits a unique developmental sequence and compartment pref erence, with calbindin D28 clearly related to the later-developing dor sal tier, and parvalbumin and calretinin to the ventral tier of the do paminergic Ventral mesencephalon. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.