Summary
Adrenergic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion of the rat have been studied with the chromaffin reaction and the zinc iodide-osmium tetroxide method. Phosphotungstic acid staining at low pH and a combined acid phosphatase reaction and phosphotungstic acid staining have also been performed on glycolmethacrylate-embedded tissue. The results indicate that phosphotungstic acid-positive elements lacking acid phosphatase activity are present at the inner side of the Golgi apparatus. These elements give rise directly to reticular differentiations, carrying catecholamines, or to tubular extensions, representing the origin of the axonal reticulum. On these tubules, reticular differentiations can again be formed at any level. In the cell body, the differentiations are mainly found close to the neurolemma. In the axons, they are especially abundant at the axon terminals. Large granules may be associated with the reticular differentiations and small and large granules may detach from them.
It is concluded that the whole catecholamine-producing and/or-storing system in sympathetic neurons can be considered as a direct extension of the Golgi apparatus, set up for local catecholamine synthesis. The relative importance of small and large granules along this system may reflect the functional status of the nerve cell.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ambron, R. T. &Treistman, S. N. (1977) Glycoproteins are modified in the axon of R2, the giant neuron ofAplysia californica, after intra-axonal injection of (3H)N-acetylgalactosamine.Brain Research 121, 287–309.
Barka, T. &Anderson, P. J. (1965)Histochemistry, Theory, Practice and Bibliography. New York: Harper and Row.
Blaschke, E., Bergquist, U. &Uvnäs, B. (1976) Identification of mucopolysaccharides in catecholamine-containing subcellular particle fractions from various rat, cat and ox tissues.Acta physiol. scand. 97, 110–20.
Broadwell, R. D. (1980) Cytochemical localization of acid hydrolases in neurons of the mammalian central nervous system.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 28, 87–9.
De Potter, W. P. &Chubb, I. W. (1977) Biochemical observations on the formation of small noradrenergic vesicles in the splenic nerve of the dog.Neuroscience 2, 167–74.
Droz, B. (1979) Elucidation of axonal transport by radioautography.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 27, 1510–1.
Droz, B., Rambourg, A. &Koenig, H. L. (1975) The smooth endoplasmic reticulum: structure and role in the renewal of axonal membrane and synaptic vesicles by fast axonal transport.Brain Research 93, 1–13.
Eränkö, L. (1972a) Postnatal development of histochemically demonstrable catecholamines in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat.Histochem. J. 4, 225–36.
Eränkö, O. (1972b). Light and electron microscopic histochemical evidence of granular and non-granular storage of catecholamines in the sympathetic ganglion of the rat.Histochem. J. 4, 213–24.
Geffen, L. B. &Rush, R. A. (1968) Transport of noradrenaline in sympathetic nerves and the effect of nerve impulses on its contribution to transmitter stores.J. Neurochem. 15, 259–30.
Geyer, G. (1973)Ultrahistochemie. Jena: VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag.
Geyer, G. (1977) Elektronenmikroskopische Histochemie. Teil 1. InHandbuch der Histochemie (edited byGraumann, W. andNeumann, K.), p. 464. Stuttgart, New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag.
Griffith, D. L. &Bondareff, W. (1973) Localisation of thiamine pyrophosphatase in synaptic vesicles.Am. J. Anat. 136, 549–56.
Hervönen, A. &Kaverna, L. (1973) The effect of 17-β-estradiol on the fine structure of the adrenergic axons of the rabbit myometrium.Z. Zellforsch. 144, 219–29.
Hökfelt, T. (1973) On the origin of small adrenergic storage vesicles: evidence for local formation in nerve endings after chronic reserpine treatment.Experientia 29, 580–2.
Hökfelt, T., Johansson, O., Ljungedahl, Ä. Lundberg, J. M. &Schultzberg, M. (1980) Peptidergic neurones.Nature, Lond. 284, 515–21.
Holtzman, E. (1977) The origin and fate of secretory packages, especially synaptic vesicles.Neuroscience 2, 327–55.
Holtzman, E., Schacher, S., Evans, J. &Teichberg, S. (1977) Origin and fate of the membranes of secretion granules and synaptic vesicles: membrane circulation in neurons, gland cells and retinal photoreceptors. InCell Surface Review, Vol. 4. (edited byPoste, G. andNicolson, G. L.), pp. 165–246. Amsterdam: Elsevier/North-Holland.
Lane, N. J. &Swales, L. S. (1976) Interrelationship between Golgi GERL and synaptic vesicles in the nerve cells of insect and gastropod ganglia.J. Cell Sci. 22, 435–54.
Leduc, E. H. &Bernhard, W. (1967) Recent modifications of the glycolmethacrylate embedding procedure.J. Ultrastruct. Res. 19, 196–9.
Markov, D., Rambourg, A. &Droz, B. (1976) Smooth endoplasmic reticulum and fast axonal transport of glycoprotein, an electron microscope radioautographic study of thick sections after heavy metal impregnation.J. Microsc. Biol. Cell. 25, 57–60.
Matthews, M. R. (1973) An ultrastructural study of axonal changes following constriction of postganglionic branches of the superior cervical ganglion of the rat.Phil. Trans. R. Soc., Ser. B 264, 479–508.
Matus, A. I. (1970) Ultrastructure of the superior cervical ganglion fixed with zinc iodide and osmium tetroxide.Brain Research 17, 195–203.
Novikoff, P. M., Novikoff, A. B., Quintana, N. &Hauw, J. J. (1971) Golgi apparatus, GERL and lysosomes of neurons in rat dorsal root ganglia studied by thick section and thin section cytochemistry.J. Cell Biol. 50, 857–86.
Quatacker, J. R. (1979) Different aspects of membrane differentiation at the inner side (GERL) of the Golgi apparatus in rabbit luteal cells.Histochem. J. 11, 391–416.
Quatacker, J. &De Potter, W. (1978) Relationship between Golgi apparatus and axonal reticulum in sympathetic ganglion cells.Electron Microscopy, 1978. 9th Int. Cong. on Electron Microscopy, Toronto., Vol. H, pp. 598–9.
Rambourg, A., Hernandez, W. &Leblond, C. P. (1969) Detection of complex carbohydrates in the Golgi apparatus of rat cells.J. Cell Biol. 40, 395–414.
Richards, J. G. &Tranzer, J. P. (1975) Localisation of amine storage sites in the adrenergic cell body. A study of the superior cervical ganglion of the rat by fine structural cytochemistry.J. Ultrastruct. Res. 53, 204–16.
Sherhany, A. A., Ambron, R. T. &Schwartz, J. H. (1979) Membrane glycolipids: regional synthesis and axonal transport in a single identified neuron ofAplysia californica.Science 203, 78–80.
Stelzner, D. J. (1971) The relationship between synaptic vesicles, Golgi apparatus and smooth endoplasmic reticulum: A developmental study using the zinc iodide-osmium technique.Z. Zellforsch. 120, 332–45.
Thiery, J. P. (1967) Mise en évidence des polysaccharides sur coupes fines en microscopie électronique.J. Microscopie 6, 987–1018.
Tranzer, J. P. &Richards, J. G. (1976) Ultrastructural cytochemistry of biogenic amines in nervous tissue: methodologic improvements.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24, 1178–93.
Trifaro, J. M., Duerr, A. D. &Pinto, J. E. B. (1976) Membranes of the adrenal medulla: a comparison between the membrane of the Golgi apparatus and chromaffin granules.Mol. Pharmacol. 12, 536–45.
Tsukita, S. &Ishikawa, H. (1980) The movement of membranous organelles in axons.J. Cell Biol. 84, 513–30.
Vrensen, G. &De Groot, D. (1974) Osmium-zinc iodide staining and the quantitative study of central synapses.Brain Research 74, 131–42.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quatacker, J. The axonal reticulum in the neurons of the superior cervical ganglion of the rat as a direct extension of the Golgi apparatus. Histochem J 13, 109–124 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01005844
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01005844