Fine structure of cilia in rat cerebral cortex

Summary Cilia have been demonstrated on granular neurons and astroglial cells in the fascia dentata, a part of the hippocampal region, in the rat. Every granular cell seems to possess one cilium, which shows an 8+1 pattern in the greater part of its length. This 8+1 pattern is shown to result from the displacement of one peripheral doublet of a 9+0 cilium into the middle of the cilium. The neuronal cilia have a two-centriole basal organization, and fine rootlets radiate from the basal body proper into the cytoplasm. The possible function and significance of these cilia are discussed on the basis of earlier literature.This study was supported in part by Grant NB 02215 of The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, U.S. Public Health Service, in part by The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities. This aid is gratefully acknowledged. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Th. Blackstad for encouragement and advice during this study, to Mrs. J. L. Vaaland, Mr. B. V. Johansen and Mr. E. Risnes for technical assistance, and to Dr. B. Afzelius for valuable discussions.     

Fine structure of the mammalian egg cortex

The cortices of a number of mammalian eggs are not structurally homogeneous but are polarized. In mouse ova the plasma membrane is a mosaic; the cytoplasm overlying the meiotic spindle is devoid of cortical granules and consists of a filamentous layer containing actin. Functionally, this cortical polarity may be related to the restriction of sperm-egg interaction and fusion to a specific region of the ovum cortex and to dynamic changes of the egg cortex during fertilization, including cortical granule exocytosis, polar body formation, and fertilization cone development. The origin of cortical polarity in mammalian oocytes and its possible relation to components of the cytoskeletal system and meiotic apparatus are discussed and compared with cortical features of eggs of other vertebrates and invertebrates.     

Electron microscopic cytochemical and morphometric study of the cerebral cortex synapses in postmortem autolysis

Brain tissue staining with phosphotungstic acid was performed to assay neurofilament accumulations in synapses in the molecular layer of the rat cerebral cortex at different intervals after the animals' death. It was found that autolysis began in the dense projections of presynaptic grid. Within 30 min autolysis developed in mature and very young (immature) synapses. By the 90th min autolysis in asymmetric synapses was considerably enhanced. 6 hours later autolysis involved mature and indefinite synapses.     

Fine structure of a spider joint receptor and associated synapses.

The fine structure of a joint receptor (R10) in a spider leg (Zygiella x-notata) was examined with light and electron microscopy. The R10 receptor consists of a compact ganglion which is situated near the dorsal joint membrane of the femur/patella joint. Each of the ten sensory cells comprising the ganglion sends one branching dendrite into the hypodermis underlying the joint membrane. All dendritic branches together form a sheet-like meshwork 50 microns wide and 1 microns thick, which is traversed obliquely by hypodermis cells. When the joint is stretched shearing forces are apparently transmitted to the receptive dendritic branches via microtubular bundles inside the hypodermis cells. The soma and dendrites of the sensory cells receive numerous synaptic input from presumably efferent fibres. The fine structure of these synapses is described and compared with other peripheral and central spider synapses. All R10 synapses contain small synaptic vesicles (32 nm diameter), whereas motor endplates possess large vesicles (38 nm). Central synapses have two significantly different vesicle populations which are either of the small or large variety. Since synapses with small vesicles are supposedly inhibitory, receptor cells in spiders might be under efferent control. Such a system is unknown in insects or crustaceans, but may be typical for arachnids.     

Structural aspects of the functional activity of the cerebral cortex synapses in the early postresuscitation period

The numeral density of the revealed with the help of PTA-plane and twisted asymmetric and symmetric interneuronal contacts of the sensomotor brain cortex of rats after 6 minutes mechanical asphyxia has been studied. It was revealed that in 90 minutes and 6 hours the relative contacts of the concave synapses will be increased progressively. This reaction has the compensatory-adaptive character and ensures the restoration of the integrative activity of the brain during the early postresuscitation period.     

Para-membrane neurofilament structures of cerebral cortex synapses during ischemia and in the early postischemic period

Using PTA-method, the structure of para-membrane neurofilament density of interneuronal synapses and PTA-positive contacts in neocortical molecular layer were studied in rats during ischemia and postischemic period. Marked reduction of definite contacts (by 25.4%) was recorded by min 90 of ischemia. However, reorganization of asymmetric contacts started during ischemia and continued in postischemic period. Changes in neurofilament density of synapses (primarily, dense projections of presynaptic grid) underlie the early reorganization of synapse architectonics.     

Fine structural localization of potassium-stimulated rho nitrophenylphosphatase activity in denrites of the cerebral cortex

A histochemical technique for the demonstration of K+-rho-nitrophenylphosphatase (K+-rhoNPPase) activity, a component of the Na+,K+-ATPase, has been applied at the fine structural level in the somatosensory cortex of the rat. Reaction product was consistenly found in dendrites and in association with the cytoplasmic aspect of the dendritic plasmalemma. Reaction product often filled portions of the tubular smooth endoplasmic reticulum in these processes. The results of these studies are interpreted to indicate that enzymatic activity is associated with large-and small-diameter dendrites. No convincing evidence of high activity was found in glial profiles. The importance of neurons and their dendrites in active transport of sodium and potassium ions in the cerebral cortex may be more significant than indicated by studies with isolated neurons and glia.     

Paramembraneous microfilamentous structures of the synapses of rat cerebral cortex during sensitization by brain antigens

On the material contrasted by phosphotungstic acid the state of paramembranes microfilament structures of interneuronal contacts of molecular layer of sensomotor field cortex of rat brain of Krushynsky-Molodkina line during sensitization by homologous brain antigens was studied. Sharp reduction of general density of synapses and symmetric contacts because of damaging of paramembranes microfilament structures of cerebral cortex synapses and reduction of new contacts was proved that plays an essential role in changing of brain integrating activity during different pathological processes connected with autoimmune mechanism of neuronal tissue damaging.     

Fine structure of synapses in the hippocampus of the rabbit with special reference to dark presynaptic endings

Summary The stratum radiatum of h₃ and h₄ in the hippocampus of the rahbit, where the mossy fiber endings are distributed, was investigated under the electron microscope. These regions contain a certain number of electron dense presynaptic endings. These are characterized by highly dense synaptic vesicles and mitochondrial matrices. The dense endings are not considered as degenerated. Electron dense silver particles, substituted for zinc, occurred on the synaptic vesicles of these dense terminals as well as the mossy fiber endings after the application of Timm's histochemical method modified for electron microscopy. It is concluded that the dark synaptic endings observed might represent mossy fiber terminals in a special functional phase, or might be the result of structural alteration in the course of tissue preparation. The zinc localized in the synaptic vesicles is thought to be associated with the neurotransmitter present in these endings.     

Fine structure of synapses in the dorsal nucleus of the lateral geniculate body of normal and blinded rats

Summary Degenerating boutons, observed from 2 to 60 days after eye enucleation, displayed decreased plasma membrane density, increased axoplasmic density, and enlarged mitochondria with deformed cristae when compared with boutons from normal animals. There was also a loss of synaptic plasma membrane specialization and the boutons abnormally indented contiguous dendrites. The number and appearance of synaptic vesicles in some degenerating boutons were notably altered. Phagocytosis of boutons in most instances appeared to be accomplished by astrocytes. When degeneration was first apparent in some boutons, the subsynaptic organelle in the adjacent dendritic cytoplasm was enlarged, somewhat less dense and was associated with small granular and circular profiles. Subsynaptic organelles in experimental animals were absent from contiguities between dendrites and other cell processes, except in a few instances when only small portions of boutons remained at their synaptic sites, suggesting that the organelles disappeared when boutons had been completely phagocytized.Degenerating myelinated axons, observed from 2 to 300 days after enucleation, exhibited the same triad of features as degenerating boutons. They appeared to be phagocytized in most instances by dense glial processes, presumably oligodendrocytic, which were normally situated between the axon and its myelin sheath and were related to the inner mesaxon.This investigation was supported by U.S.P.H.S. Training Grants Nos. 2 T1 GM 202 T1 CA 505506, and 2RO 1 AM 368806.The author expresses his appreciation to Dr. A. J. Ladman for acquainting him with the techniques used in the study and to Dr. R. J. Barrnett for valuable criticism of this report. Gratitude is also extended to Mr. E. Z. Rutkowski for making the drawing.