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Localization of the clustering protein gephyrin at GABAergic synapses in the main olfactory bulb of the rat
Author(s) -
Giustetto Maurizio,
Kirsch Joachim,
Fritschy JeanMarc,
Cantino Dario,
SassoèPognetto Marco
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19980601)395:2<231::aid-cne7>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - gephyrin , glycine receptor , postsynaptic potential , biology , gabaa receptor , neuroscience , olfactory bulb , gabaergic , synapse , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , glycine , biochemistry , central nervous system , amino acid
The tubulin‐binding protein gephyrin is essential for the formation of postsynaptic glycine‐receptor clusters in cultured spinal neurons. In addition, there is increasing evidence that gephyrin can also be present at nonglycinergic synapses. Here we analyzed immunocytochemically the subcellular localization of gephyrin in the main olfactory bulb of the rat and compared its distribution with that of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and of two major GABA A ‐receptor subunits. Gephyrin was selectively localized to the postsynaptic side of symmetric synaptic junctions, where the presynaptic terminals contained GABA. Moreover, gephyrin colocalized extensively with the α1 and γ2 subunits of the GABA A receptor. In contrast, gephyrin was not detected at presumed glutamatergic synapses. These results indicate that gephyrin is not uniquely associated with glycine receptors, but can also be found at distinct GABAergic synapses. Thus, they raise the possibility that gephyrin is involved in anchoring certain GABA A ‐receptor subtypes in the postsynaptic membrane. J. Comp. Neurol. 395:231–244, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.