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Early GABA A receptor clustering during the development of the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract
Author(s) -
Heck W. L.,
Basaraba A. M.,
Slusarczyk A.,
Schweitzer L.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.2003.00169.x
Subject(s) - receptor , gabaergic , gamma aminobutyric acid , neuroscience , nucleus , gabaa receptor , biology , ion channel linked receptors , neurotransmitter receptor , synapse , chemistry , glutamate receptor , biochemistry , metabotropic glutamate receptor
While there is an abundance of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the gustatory zone of the nucleus of the solitary tract of the perinatal rat, we know that GABAergic synapse formation is not complete until well after birth. Our recent results have shown that GABA B receptors are present at birth in the cells of the nucleus; however, they do not redistribute and cluster at synaptic sites until after PND10. The present study examined the time course of appearance and redistribution of GABA A receptors in the nucleus. GABA A receptors were also present at birth. However, in comparison to GABA B receptors, GABA A receptors underwent an earlier translocation to synaptic sites. Extrasynaptic label, for example, of GABA A receptors was non‐existent compared to GABA B receptors at PND10 and well‐defined clusters of GABA A receptors could be seen as early as PND1. We propose that while GABA A receptors may play an early neurotransmitter role at the synapse, GABA B receptors may play a non‐transmitter neurotrophic role.