Synaptic targets of calretinin-containing axon terminals in macaque monkey prefrontal cortex

Neuroscience. 2005;130(1):185-95. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.08.046.

Abstract

The coordinated activity of specific populations of pyramidal cells and GABA-containing, local circuit neurons in the primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) appears to be critical for working memory. Different subclasses of GABA-containing neurons can be distinguished by their content of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV) and calretinin (CR). The postsynaptic targets of PV-containing cells have been well characterized in the primate PFC, but the postsynaptic targets of CR-containing neurons in this cortical region remain unknown. In the present study, we used immuno-electron microscopy to examine the synaptic type and postsynaptic targets of CR-immunoreactive (IR) axon terminals in the superficial and deep layers of macaque monkey PFC. Labeled axon terminals formed both symmetric and asymmetric synapses. Within the superficial layers, 93% of the synapses formed by CR-IR were symmetric, whereas in the deep layers the labeled axon terminals forming synapses were more evenly divided between symmetric (57%) and asymmetric (43%). The primary postsynaptic target of these two populations of CR-IR axon terminals also differed; unlabeled dendritic shafts were the predominant target of the symmetric synapses, whereas dendritic spines were the most common target of the asymmetric synapses. In addition, the mean cross-sectional area of the terminals forming asymmetric synapses was significantly larger than that of the terminals forming symmetric synapses. The presence of CR-IR asymmetric synapses suggested that they might arise from neurons that do not utilize GABA; indeed, dual-label fluorescent immunocytochemistry revealed that a subpopulation (23%) of CR-containing neurons in monkey PFC were not GABA-IR. These findings indicate that the synaptology of CR-containing neurons is more heterogeneous than that of PV-containing cells and suggests that the contributions of CR-containing neurons to cognitive processes mediated by the PFC may be more diverse.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / metabolism*
  • Axons / ultrastructure
  • Calbindin 2
  • Cell Count / methods
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Macaca fascicularis
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Immunoelectron / methods
  • Neural Networks, Computer
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Parvalbumins / metabolism
  • Prefrontal Cortex / cytology*
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / metabolism*
  • Synapses / metabolism*
  • Synapses / ultrastructure
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Calbindin 2
  • Parvalbumins
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein G
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid