Premium
Acetylcholine α7 nicotinic and dopamine D 2 receptors are targeted to many of the same postsynaptic dendrites and astrocytes in the rodent prefrontal cortex
Author(s) -
Duffy Aine M.,
Fitzgerald Megan L.,
Chan June,
Robinson Danielle C.,
Milner Teresa A.,
Mackie Kenneth,
Pickel Virginia M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.20977
Subject(s) - neuroscience , vesicular acetylcholine transporter , postsynaptic potential , excitatory postsynaptic potential , nicotinic acetylcholine receptor , cholinergic , postsynaptic density , neurotransmission , dopamine , prefrontal cortex , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , synaptic cleft , axon , chemistry , acetylcholine , nicotinic agonist , biology , neurotransmitter , receptor , endocrinology , biochemistry , central nervous system , choline acetyltransferase , cognition
The alpha‐7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) and the dopamine D 2 receptor (D 2 R) are both implicated in attentional processes and cognition, mediated in part through the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We examined the dual electron microscopic immunolabeling of α7nAChR and either D 2 R or the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in rodent PFC to assess convergent functional activation sites. Immunoreactivity (ir) for α7nAChR and/or D 2 R was seen in the same as well as separate neuronal and glial profiles. At least half of the dually labeled profiles were somata and dendrites, while most labeled axon terminals expressed only D 2 R‐ir. The D 2 R‐labeled terminals were without synaptic specializations or formed inhibitory or excitatory‐type synapses with somatodendritic profiles, some of which expressed the α7nAChR and/or D 2 R. Astrocytic glial processes comprised the majority of nonsomatodendritic α7nAChR or α7nAChR and D 2 R‐labeled profiles. Glial processes containing α7nAChR‐ir were frequently located near VAChT‐labeled terminals and also showed perisynaptic and perivascular associations. We conclude that in rodent PFC α7nACh and D 2 R activation can dually modulate (1) postsynaptic dendritic responses within the same or separate but synaptically linked neurons in which the D 2 R has the predominately presynaptic distribution, and (2) astrocytic signaling that may be crucial for synaptic transmission and functional hyperemia. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.