Localization of calcium-binding protein parvalbumin-immunoreactive neuronsin mouse and hamster visual cortex

Calcium-binding proteins are thought to play important roles in regulating intracellular calcium in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and morphology of neurons containing parva lbumin in the visual cortex of mouse and hamster. The calcium-binding prote ins were localized using immunocytochemistry. Parvalbumin-immunoreactive ne urons were located in all layers except layer I. The highest density of par valbumin immunoreactivity was found in layer V of both mouse and hamster. T he labeled neurons varied in morphology, The majority of the parvalbumin-im munoreactive neurons both in mouse and hamster visual cortex was stellate a nd round, or oval with multipolar dendrites. These results indicate that th e calcium-binding protein parvalbumin is contained in specific layers and i n selective cell types of the mouse and hamster visual cortex. The distribu tion of parvalbumin in the mouse visual cortex is very similar to that of h amster.