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Impaired cerebellar development and underlying structural deficits in the vasopressin deficient brattleboro rat. A morphometrical study
Author(s) -
Norde W.,
Uylings H.B.M.,
Boer G.J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(83)90369-6
Subject(s) - brain research , original research , nobel laureate , citation , library science , humanities , neuroscience , psychology , philosophy , linguistics , poetry , computer science
Expression of phenylethanolamine-n-methyltransferase in sympathetic neurons and extraadrenal chromaffin tissue of chick embryos in vivo and in vitro. G. Teitelman I, S. Skaper 2, H. Baker I, D. Park 1, T.H. Joh I S. Varon 2, D~. R-eTs 1, R ~ A ~ . 1Lab. of Neurobiol., Cornell Univ. Med. Col., NY, NY 10021; 2Dept. Biol. Univ. CA, San Diego; Dept. Opth., Johns Hopkins U., MD. Previous studies seemed to indicate the existence of two populations of cells in the mammalian sympathetic nervous system which differ in their ability to express phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT), the enzyme which specifically subserves the biosynthesis of epinephrine: (1) sympathoblasts and their progeny, the noradrenergic sympathetic neurons (PNMT negative), and (2) phaeochromoblasts, which originate the adrenergic cells of the adrenal gland and extraadrenal chromaffin tissue (PNMT positive). We sought to determine whether similar differences between sympathoblasts and phaeochromoblasts exist in other classes of vertebrate embryos. Using immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques to assay PNMT in sympathetic organs in vivo and i_n vitr% we have found that chick embryo paravertebral ganglia contain PNMT activity both in vivo and in vitro. In vitro PNMT immunostaining was detected in principal neurons as well as in small process bearing neurons similar to mammalian SIF cells. In vivo, cells containing PNMT were seen not only in the adrenal gland, but also in other sympathetic structures such as the extraadrenal chromaffin tissue and, unexpectedly, also in some cells of the kidney. In all cases, tyrosine hydroxylase, the first enzyme of the catecholamine (CA) biosynthetic pathway, was found in the same cells which could be stained with PNMT antibodies. Thus, we conclude that in contrast to the rat, chick sympathoblasts share with phaeochromoblasts the property of expressing all the CA enzymes, including PNMT.