B. Leitch et al., DISTRIBUTION OF ACETYLCHOLINE-RECEPTORS IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEMOF ADULT LOCUSTS, Journal of comparative neurology, 334(1), 1993, pp. 47-58
A polyclonal antibody raised against nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
protein from purified locust neuronal membrane was used to analyse the
distribution of antigenic sites within the central nervous system of
adult Schistocerca gregaria. Light microscopic examination showed that
all principal neuropiles in the thoracic ganglia label with the antib
ody but that the major tracts and commissures do not. Analysis of this
pattern of staining in the electron microscope reveals that the recep
tor is present on specific synaptic and extrajunctional neuronal membr
anes in the neuropile. Antigenic sites are also evident on the plasma
membranes and within the cytoplasm adjacent to Golgi complexes of some
neuronal somata, suggesting that these neurones synthesise nicotinic
acetylcholine receptors. In addition to neuronal labelling, there is e
vidence that the receptor is also present on the membranes of three ty
pes of glial cells. The implications of this pattern of receptor distr
ibution are discussed. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.