DISTRIBUTION OF VISININ-LIKE PROTEIN (VILIP) IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS OF THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL (MERIONES-UNGUICULATUS)

Visinin-like protein (VILIP) is a neuronal EF-hand Ca2+-binding protei n. In the chick brain, it is widely expressed, e.g, in neurons of the visual pathway and the cerebellum. In the cerebellum, a presynaptic lo calization of VILIP in glutamatergic parallel- and climbing-fiber term inals has been observed. Here, we describe the distribution of immunor eactivity (IR) detected by antibodies against chick VILIP in the gerbi l hippocampus at the light and electron microscopic level. VILIP antib odies stain neurons in the whole hippocampal formation including pyram idal cells in the CAI and CA3 region of the Ammon's horn and granule c ells of the dentate gyrus. In CA3 neurons, VILIP-IR is localized in de ndrites and dendritic spines.