IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF GLYCOGEN-PHOSPHORYLASE IN PRIMARY SENSORY GANGLIA OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF THE RAT

Neuronal localization was investigated of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) in ganglia of the peripheral nervous system of the rat. Immunofluoresc ence and immunoenzymatic procedures were applied with a monoclonal ant i-bovine brain GP antibody on paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedde d tissues. Immunoreactivity was only present in the somatic neurons of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus in the brain stem and in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), but not in the autonomic neurons of the superior c ervical ganglia or in the sensory nuclei of the spinal cord. GP immuno reactivity was present as early as day 1 after birth. In the adult rat , staining was present in neurons of different sizes, and to varying i ntensities. No relationship was apparent between the staining intensit ies and morphologically distinguishable types of neurons. In DRG, the type of reactivity was the same from cervical to sacral ganglia. The s elected occurrence of GP in specific neurons of the peripheral nervous system in contrast to the ubiquitous occurrence in all astrocytes of the central nervous system may indicate a different role of neuronal g lycogen compared to astrocytic glycogen.