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Immunocytochemical localization of a Manduca sexta γ‐aminobutyric acid transporter
Author(s) -
Umesh Anita,
Gill Sarjeet S.
Publication year - 2002
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/cne.10271
Subject(s) - neuropil , biology , manduca sexta , mushroom bodies , neurotransmitter , gabaergic , gamma aminobutyric acid , neuroscience , neurotransmission , central nervous system , insect , olfactory system , neurotransmitter transporter , microbiology and biotechnology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , biochemistry , drosophila melanogaster , receptor , botany , gene
γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in insect central and peripheral nervous systems. Although much work has focused on the downstream targets of GABA, signal termination at insect GABAergic synapses has received very little attention. One of the major mechanisms of terminating synaptic transmission involves transport of the neurotransmitter molecules into presynaptic neurons or surrounding glia. Here we report the immunolocalization of a GABA transporter in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (MasGAT), using an affinity‐purified antibody developed to the C‐terminus. This is the first demonstration of an insect neurotransmitter transporter immunolocalization study. Results showed strong staining in the neuropil regions of embryonic, larval, and pharate adult central nervous system. Expression pattern in the pharate adult brain mostly mimicked that observed for GABA, with staining in parts of the optic and antennal lobes, mushroom body, lateral protocerebrum, and central complex. Certain longitudinal and lateral connectives of ganglia were observed to have immunostained fibers representing axons. These data support the view that GABA is involved in visual and olfactory processing in the insect brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 448:388–398, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.