Anatomy and Cell Biology

Korean Association of Anatomists (대한해부학회)
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Ultrastructural analysis of low-threshold mechanoreceptive vibrissa afferent boutons in the cat trigeminal caudal nucleus

  • Paik, Sang-Kyoo (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Choi, Seung-Ki (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Lee, Jong-Wook (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Kim, Tae-Heon (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Ahn, Dong-Kuk (Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Yoshida, Atsushi (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University) ;
  • Kim, Yun-Sook (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Bae, Yong-Chul (Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University)
  • Received : 2010.11.01
  • Accepted : 2010.12.03
  • Published : 2010.12.30
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Abstract

Ultrastructural parameters related to synaptic release and their correlation with synaptic connectivity were analyzed in the low-threshold mechanoreceptive vibrissa afferent boutons in laminae III and IV of the trigeminal caudal nucleus (Vc). Rapidly adapting vibrissa afferents were intra-axonally labeled, and quantitative ultrastructural analyses with serial sections were performed on the labeled boutons and their presynaptic endings (p-endings). The volume of the labeled boutons was widely distributed from small to large ones ($0.8{\sim}12.3{\mu}m^3$), whereas the p-endings were small and uniform in size. The volume of the labeled boutons was positively correlated with the ultrastructural parameters such as mitochondrial volume (correlation coefficient, r=0.96), active zone area (r=0.82) and apposed surface area (r=0.79). Vesicle density (r=－0.18) showed little correlation to the volume of labeled boutons, suggesting that the total vesicle number of a bouton is proportional to its volume. In addition, the bouton volume was positively correlated with the number of p-endings (r=0.52) and with the number of dendrites postsynaptic to the labeled bouton (r=0.83). These findings suggest that low-threshold mechanoreception conveyed through vibrissa afferents is processed in a bouton size-dependent manner in the Vc, which may contribute to the sensory-motor function of laminae III/IV in Vc.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Grant : Basic Science Research Program

Supported by : National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)

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