Inhibitory neurones of a motor pattern generator in Xenopus revealed by antibodies to glycine

摘要: Glycine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are inhibitory transmitters of major importance1,2. Whereas neurones using GABA as the transmitter can be visualized by immunocytochemical methods for glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)3,4 or GABA5–8, no comparable techniques have been available selective visualization glycinergic neurones. We now produced polyclonal antibodies which specifically recognize glycine in glutaral-dehyde-fixed tissue. used these to investigate distribution simple central nervous system (CNS) Xenopus embryo, contains an anatomically physiologically defined class reciprocal interneurones, commissural interneurones9–11. These interneurones important role generation swimming motor pattern thought glycinergic11–13. The stain revealing their number embryo CNS. This is first demonstration localization glycine-like immunoreactivity a putative neurone that has characterized physiologically, pharmacologically anatomically.