JCB logo
R&D Systems
  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF, 1413K)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Services
Right arrow Email this article
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new content in the JCB
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Landolt, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Ris, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Landolt, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Ris, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol 28, 391-403, Copyright © 1966 by Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLE

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES ON SOMA-SOMATIC INTERNEURONAL JUNCTIONS IN THE CORPUS PEDUNCULATUM OF THE WOOD ANT (FORMICA LUGUBRIS ZETT.)

Alex M. Landolt 1 and Hans Ris 1

1 From the Institute for Brain Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Dr. Ris's present address is the Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

1. The corpora pedunculata of the wood ant (Formica lugubris Zett.) contain densely packed neuron perikarya which are separated by ultrathin glial sheaths. 2. These glial sheaths are occasionally interrupted by round holes with an average surface area of 2.64 µ2. The holes are designated glial windows since they represent intracellular gaps of glial cytoplasm. 3. The glial windows allow soma-somatic interneuronal junctions. Of all adjacent neurons in a selected neuron pool, only 42% were interconnected by such junctions. 4. The intercellular space at the soma-somatic junctions has an average diameter of 30 A; occasionally, it is collapsed and an external compound membrane ensues. The junctional membranes are characterized by the presence of a subunit pattern of cross-directional electron-opaque lines with a 50- to 70-A periodicity. 5. Morphological signs of chemical transmission are absent in these junctions. On the other hand, there is a striking similarity in structural organization between soma-somatic junctions and electrical synapses described in other species. Therefore, it is suggested that these cell contacts of the ant's "cerebral cortex" are another form of electrical junction. 6. The close proximity of the junctions to the cell nucleus is noted. Its significance could not be ascertained. 7. The suggestion is made that glial windows may have dynamic properties and may intervene in the regulation of interneuronal transfer of information.

Submitted on August 23, 1965


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents