Specificity and plasticity of neuromuscular connections: Long-term regulation of motoneuron function

Autonomic Nerve Fibers Aberrantly Reinnervate Denervated Facial Muscles and Alter Muscle Fiber Population

The surgical redirection of efferent neural input to a denervated muscle via a nerve transfer can reestablish neuromuscular control after nerve injuries. The role of autonomic nerve fibers during the process of muscular reinnervation remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the neurobiological mechanisms behind the spontaneous functional recovery of denervated facial muscles in male rodents. Recovered facial muscles demonstrated an abundance of cholinergic axonal endings establishing functional neuromuscular junctions. The parasympathetic source of the neuronal input was confirmed to be in the pterygopalatine ganglion. Furthermore, the autonomically reinnervated facial muscles underwent a muscle fiber change to a purely intermediate muscle fiber population myosin heavy chain type IIa. Finally, electrophysiological tests revealed that the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers travel to the facial muscles via the sensory infraorbital nerve. Our findings demonstrated expanded neuromuscular plasticity of denervated striated muscles enabling functional recovery via alien autonomic fibers. These findings may further explain the underlying mechanisms of sensory protection implemented to prevent atrophy of a denervated muscle.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Nerve injuries represent significant morbidity and disability for patients. Rewiring motor nerve fibers to other target muscles has shown to be a successful approach in the restoration of motor function. This demonstrates the remarkable capacity of the CNS to adapt to the needs of the neuromuscular system. Yet, the capability of skeletal muscles being reinnervated by nonmotor axons remains largely unknown. Here, we show that under deprivation of original efferent input, the neuromuscular system can undergo functional and morphologic remodeling via autonomic nerve fibers. This may explain neurobiological mechanisms of the sensory protection phenomenon, which is because of parasympathetic reinnervation.

The neuromuscular junction: anatomical features and adaptations to various forms of increased, or decreased neuromuscular activity

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) allows communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. During development, marked morphological changes occur as the functional NMJ is formed. During the postnatal period of rapid growth and muscle enlargement, endplate size concurrently increases. Even beyond this period of pronounced plasticity, the NMJ undergoes subtle morphological remodeling--expansion and retraction--although its overall dimensions remain stable. This natural, continual NMJ remodeling is amplified with alterations in neuromuscular activity. Increased activity, presented by exercise training, typically results in expansion of NMJ size. Disuse, brought about by neurotoxins, denervation, or spaceflight, also elicits substantial reconfiguring of the endplate.

Allotransplanted nerves regenerate inhibitory synapses on a crayfish muscle: Possible postsynaptic specification

Donor nerves of different origins, when transplanted onto a previously denervated adult crayfish abdominal superficial flexor muscle (SFM), regenerate excitatory synaptic connections. Here we report that an inhibitory axon in these nerves also regenerates synaptic connections based on observation of nerve terminals with irregular to elliptically shaped synaptic vesicles characteristic of the inhibitory axon in aldehyde fixed tissue. Inhibitory terminals were found at reinnervated sites in all 12 allotransplanted-SFMs, underscoring the fact that the inhibitory axon regenerates just as reliably as the excitatory axons. At sites with degenerating nerve terminals and at sparsely reinnervated sites, we observe densely stained membranes, reminiscent of postsynaptic membranes, but occurring as paired, opposing membranes, extending between extracellular channels of the subsynaptic reticulum. These structures are not found at richly innervated sites in allotransplanted SFMs, in control SFMs, or at several other crustacean muscles. Although their identity is unknown, they are likely to be remnant postsynaptic membranes that become paired with collapse of degenerated nerve terminals of excitatory and inhibitory axons. Because these two axons have uniquely different receptor channels and intramembrane structure, their remnant postsynaptic membranes may therefore attract regenerating nerve terminals to form synaptic contacts selectively by excitatory or inhibitory axons, resulting in postsynaptic specification.

The spatiotemporal relationship among Schwann cells, axons and postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor regions during muscle reinnervation in aged rats

To morphologically define the aging-related features during muscle reinnervation the spatiotemporal relationships among the major components of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) were investigated. A total of 64 rats, 30 adults (4 months old) and 34 aged adults (24 months old), were used. Between 1 and 12 weeks after sciatic nerve-crushing injury, cryosections of skeletal muscle were single or double labeled for S100, a marker of Schwann cells (SCs), for protein gene product 9.5, a neuronal marker, and for alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BT), a marker of the acetylcholine receptor site (AChR site), and then observed by confocal laser microscopy. The most obvious age changes were noted: (1) the regenerating SCs and axons were delayed in their arrival at the NMJ, (2) the dimensions of terminal SCs and AChR sites displayed a drastic and long-lasting drop (for terminal SCs, during 1-8 weeks; for AChR sites, during 1-12 weeks); (3) the degree of spatial overlap between AChR sites and terminal SCs was markedly low until 8 weeks post-crush; (4) damage and poor formation in the SCs, terminal axons and AChR sites, together with poor process extension from the terminal SC or terminal axon, were pronounced; (5) persistent aberrant changes, such as multiple innervation and terminal axon sprouting, together with poorly formed collateral innervation, nerve bundles, and NMJs, more frequently occurred in the later reinnervation period. Thus, with aging, regeneration is impaired during the period in which regenerating SC strands and axons extend into NMJs and the subsequent establishment of nerve-muscle contact is in progress. A complex set of morphological abnormalities between or among the TSCs, terminal axons, and AChR sites may be important in slowing of regeneration and reinnervation in aged motor endplates.

Metamorphosis in drosophila and other insects: the fate of neurons throughout the stages

The nervous system of insects is profoundly reorganised during metamorphosis, affecting the fate of different types of neuron in different ways. Almost all adult motor neurons derive from larval motor neurons that are respecified for adult functions. A subset of larval motor neurons, those which mediate larval- or ecdysis-specific behaviours, die before and immediately after eclosion, respectively. Many adult interneurons develop from larval interneurons, whereas those related to complex adult sense organs originate during larval life from persisting embryonic neuroblasts. Sensory neurons of larvae and adults derive from essentially two distinct sources. Larval sensory neurons are formed in the embryonic integument and - with few exceptions - die during metamorphosis. Their adult counterparts, on the other hand, arise from imaginal discs. Special emphasis is given in this review to the metamorphic remodelling of persisting neurons, both at the input and output levels, and to the associated behavioural changes. Other sections deal with the programmed death of motor neurons and its causes, as well as with the metamorphic interactions between motor neurons and their target muscles. Remodelling and apoptosis of these two elements appear to be under independent ecdysteroid control. This review focusses on the two most thoroughly studied holometabolous species, the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster and the tobacco hornworm moth Manduca sexta. While Manduca has a long tradition in neurodevelopmental studies due to the identification of many of its neurons, Drosophila has been increasingly used to investigate neural reorganisation thanks to neurogenetic tools and molecular approaches. The wealth of information available emphasises the strength of the insect model system used in developmental studies, rendering it clearly the most important system for studies at the cellular level.

Influence of age on regeneration in the peripheral nervous system

Studies on the influence of age on regeneration in the peripheral nervous system are reviewed. Observations in the human are limited, but clinical experience indicates that the efficiency of regeneration is less in later life. The results of experimental studies in animals, although sometimes variable, indicate a decline with age. This may be correlated with reduced axonal transport. At motor nerve terminals, the capacity to produce ultraterminal sprouting secondary to partial denervation is reduced, but not the capacity to eliminate terminal sprouts or reinnervation. Frequency and accuracy of reoccupation of the sites of motor nerve terminals are impaired. Nerve transection is more likely to result in loss of the parent neurons following nerve transection in young than in older animals. Chromatolysis is more intense and does not return to normal as rapidly in old animals, and the degree of retrograde axonal atrophy is less. This suggests a diminished dependence on peripheral growth factor support.

Differential sensitivity to Mg(2+)-and tubocurarine-block of frog neuromuscular junctions in summer and winter

Several parameters of transmitter release in neuromuscular junctions were compared in "winter' and "summer' frogs. In low Ca2+/high Mg(2+)-block, the quantal content m of endplate potentials was similar for both groups. In curarized junctions, however, endplate potentials were about twice as large in winter as in summer, and facilitation was lower and depression higher. This indicates that transmitter release is higher in winter junctions. This is not reflected in Mg(2+)-block, suggesting that strong calcium deprivation may suppress release in winter more strongly than in summer junctions.

Naturally occurring motoneuron cell death in rat upper respiratory tract motor nuclei: a histological, fast DiI and immunocytochemical study in the hypoglossal nucleus

We have previously reported on our investigation of motoneuron cell death (MCD) in the rat nucleus ambiguus (NA). This article focuses on the other major upper respiratory tract motor nucleus: the hypoglossal. The hypoglossal nucleus (XII) contains motoneurons to the tongue and, as such, plays a critical role in defining patterns of respiration, deglutition, and vocalization. Motoneuron counts were made in XII in a developmental series of rats. In addition, the neural tracer fast DiI was used to ensure that all hypoglossal motoneurons had migrated into the nucleus at the time cell death was assessed. Furthermore, an antibody to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was used to determine the potential effect of inadvertently counting large interneurons on motoneuron counts. Cell death in XII was shown to occur entirely prenatally with a loss of 35% of cells between embryonic day 16 (E16) and birth. Fast DiI tracings of the prenatal hypoglossal nerve indicated that all motoneurons were present in a well-defined nucleus by E15. Immunocytochemical staining for GABA demonstrated considerably fewer interneurons than motoneurons in XII. These findings in XII, in comparison with those previously reported for NA, demonstrate differences in the timing and amount of cell death between upper respiratory tract motor nuclei. These differences establish periods during which one nucleus may be preferentially insulted by environmental or teratogenic factors. Preferential insults may underlie some of the upper respiratory tract incoordination pathologies seen in the newborn such as the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Naturally occurring motoneuron cell death in rat upper respiratory tract motor nuclei: a histological, fast DiI and immunocytochemical study of the nucleus ambiguus

The mammalian upper respiratory tract (URT) serves as the common modality for aspects of respiration, deglutition, and vocalization. Although these actions are dependent on coordinated and specific neuromuscular control, little is known about the development of URT control centers. As such, this study investigated the occurrence of naturally occurring motoneuron cell death (MCD) in the nucleus ambiguus (NA) of a developmental series of rats. Standard histological techniques were used to count motoneurons in the ventrolateral brainstem where the mature NA is found. In addition, the neural tracer, fast DiI, was used to determine whether motoneurons were still migrating into the region of the NA during the period that cell counts were first taken. Furthermore, to elucidate the potential effect of inadvertently counting large interneurons on the assessment of motoneuron numbers, an antibody to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was used. The results of this study have, for the first time, demonstrated that MCD occurs in a URT-related motor nucleus. Approximately a 50% cell death was observed during the prenatal development of NA, with no further loss seen postnatally. The fast DiI studies showed that by embryonic day 17, NA was fully formed, suggesting that motoneuron migration from the basal plate was complete. In addition, use of the GABA antibody showed a lack of inhibitory interneurons within the NA. The finding of MCD in the NA helps define a critical period in the formation of URT neuromuscular control. As the course of MCD is modifiable by epigenetic signals, insult to the organism during this prenatal period may compromise future URT control.

Morphology of the release site of inhibitory synapses on the soma and dendrite of an identified neuron

Synapses are complex arrangements of pre- and postsynaptic differentiations involved in neural communication. A key element in this synaptic transmission is the presynaptic active zone where the release of neurotransmitter occurs. Active zones can be visualized and analyzed after staining with ethanolic phosphotungstic acid (EPTA) on semithin (0.5 micron) sections. This staining has been used in association with postembedding immunogold labeling for the neurotransmitters glycine or GABA, to investigate the organization of chemically defined inhibitory active zones, viewed in their full extent, on different regions of the goldfish Mauthner (M-) cell. With this approach, a marked variability in size and shape was observed for the release sites contacting the different parts of the postsynaptic neuron. In the axon cap and on the soma, glycinergic afferent terminals have small presynaptic grids (0.066 +/- 0.029 micron2, n = 30 and 0.076 +/- 0.037 micron2, n = 46, respectively). These grids are quite circular and they include 12 to 13 presynaptic dense projections (PDPs). The situation is different on the lateral dendrite, where glycinergic and GABAergic active zones display a greater variability in their surface areas (mean = 0.147 +/- 0.100 micron2, n = 115 and 0.139 +/- 0.080 micron2, n = 125, respectively), and their number of PDPs (mean = 19 +/- 9) per individual grid. Similarly, the shape of the release sites over the dendrite is more complex (annular, horseshoe-shaped) when compared to those on the soma. These differences of dendritic versus somatic release sites could represent a structural basis to maximize the shunting effect of glycinergic and GABAergic inhibitory junctions, i.e., close to excitatory inputs. We also observed that the proportion of endings containing 1 or more active zones also varies. More precisely, 96% and 82% of glycinergic terminals in the axon cap and on the soma, respectively, display only one active zone. On the dendrite, their proportion falls to 65.5% for both glycine- and GABA-containing boutons. The remaining inhibitory terminals contain 2 (30%) and 3 to 4 (4.5%) presynaptic grids. These results reveal a greater variability of morphology and organization of the inhibitory release sites at dendritic versus somatic locations. The functional significance of this observation for the synaptic transmission is discussed.

The presynaptic cell determines the number of synapses in the Drosophila optic ganglia

The role of the pre- and postsynaptic cells in determining the number of synapses has been investigated in retina mosaics of the gigas (gig) mutant of Drosophila. Mutant photoreceptors are two to three times larger than those of the wild type, while adjacent cells in the mosaic retina and the lamina are normal in size. Serial electron microscope reconstructions of mosaic lamina cartridges show that gig photoreceptors establish more synapses upon lamina neurons than the normal photoreceptors do. By contrast, the number of feedback synapses that lamina neurons make onto gig photoreceptors does not increase. The increment in the number of synapses correlates positively with the increment of presynaptic cell membrane, resulting in constancy of synapse density. The phototactic response of flies bearing a gig eye is abnormal, indicating that the extra synapses are functional.

Skeletal muscle regeneration after injury: an overview

Skeletal muscle has a remarkable capacity for regeneration after injuries resulting in either partial or complete damage to the muscle fibers. Muscle damage occurs following a variety of injuries including direct injury caused by crushing, puncturing, cutting, or freezing; ischemia; direct application of local anesthetics; eccentric exercise, and a variety of neuromuscular diseases. Regardless of the injury, regeneration usually follows a characteristic sequence and is limited by three major factors that will be discussed in this overview of the processes involved in degeneration and regeneration of muscle. The major factors limiting the ability of skeletal muscle to regenerate after trauma or disease are a viable population of satellite cells, reinnervation, and revascularization.

Activity-dependent interactions between motoneurones and muscles: their role in the development of the motor unit

In this review article we have attempted to provide an overview of the various forms of activity-dependent interactions between motoneurones and muscles and its consequences for the development of the motor unit. During early development the components of the motor unit undergo profound changes. Initially the two cell types develop independently of each other. The mechanisms that regulate their characteristic properties and prepare them for their encounter are poorly understood. However, when motor axons reach their target muscles the interaction between these cells profoundly affects their survival and further development. The earliest interactions between motoneurones and muscle fibres generate a form of activity which is in many ways different from that seen at later stages. This difference may be due to the immature types of ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors present in the membranes of both motoneurones and muscle fibres. For example, spontaneous release of acetylcholine may influence the myotube even before any synaptic specialization appears. This initial form of activity-dependent interaction does not necessarily depend on the generation of action potentials in either the motoneurone or the muscle fibre. Nevertheless, the ionic fluxes and electric fields produced by such interactions are likely to activate second messenger systems and influence the cells. An important step for the development of the motor unit in its final form is the initial distribution of synaptic contacts to primary and secondary myotubes and their later reorganization. Mechanisms that determine these events are proposed. It is argued that the initial layout of the motor unit territory depends on the matching of immature muscle fibres (possibly secondary myotubes) to terminals with relatively weak synaptic strength. Such matching can be the consequence of the properties of the muscle fibre at a particular stage of maturation which will accept only nerve terminals that match their developmental stage. Refinements of the motor unit territory follows later. It is achieved by activity-dependent elimination of nerve terminals from endplates that are innervated by more than one motoneurone. In this way the territory of the motor unit is established, but not necessarily the homogeneity of the physiological and biochemical properties of its muscle fibres. These properties develop gradually, largely as a consequence of the activity pattern that is imposed upon the muscle fibres supplied by a given motoneurone. This occurs when the motor system in the CNS completes its development so that specialized activity patterns are transmitted by particular motoneurones to the muscle fibres they supply.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Morphological correlates of physiological responses in partially denervated mouse muscle during aging

To evaluate the effect of partial denervation on age changes, morphological and physiological parameters were studied in young versus old extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. The aims of this study were to elucidate synaptic maintenance in general and specifically to assess the adaptability of motor neurons from young and old animals to an enlarged field of innervation. Partial denervation was carried out in two groups of 30-40 g mice, aged within 6 or 24 months, by sectioning of the nerve supplying EDL muscle under methoxyfluorane anaesthesia. Sham operations were carried out on additional animals which served as controls. Five weeks' post-surgery, the safety factor of synaptic transmission was estimated by dividing the nerve-evoked twitch tension generated in 1 mM Ca2+ Krebs by that generated in 2.5 mM Ca2+ Krebs. Low Ca2+ Krebs caused a more pronounced decline in twitch tension in young control EDL muscles than old control. After partial denervation, young EDL twitch tensions were not significantly different while old were 20% of those in normal Krebs. Zinc Iodide Osmium (ZIO) stained nerve terminal parameters were significantly increased with aging. After partial denervation, nerve terminal areas were 46 and 39% larger in young and old mice, respectively, compared to their corresponding controls. Present data suggest that motor neurons of old mice are unable to develop and maintain an enlarged field of innervation.

Design and control of the head retractor muscle in a turtle, Pseudemys (Trachemys) scripta: II. Efferent innervation

The head retractor muscle (RCCQ) of Pseudemys scripta is a useful model in which to study the mechanisms animals use to vary the force and timing of movement. Single fibers in this muscle differ significantly in attachments, length, diameter, taper characteristics, and histochemical properties, suggesting that they may be energetically and architecturally specialized for different roles in head movement. In the present paper, we report the peripheral and central efferent innervation of these diverse muscle cells, and we ask how the design of the neural apparatus is matched to the properties of its target muscle fibers. Three out of four bellies in RCCQ are supplied by multiple segmental nerves. The territories of these nerves are separated rostrocaudally within the muscle belly; thus, long muscle fibers cross the territories of two or more segmental nerves. Motor terminals in RCCQ resemble those on frog twitch muscles. Their sizes (length, bouton number) are correlated with the diameters of their target muscle fibers. Each muscle fiber bears 2-14 terminals evenly spaced (approx. 5 mm apart) along its length. Thus, single muscle fibers in RCCQ are multiterminally, and long fibers are multisegmentally innervated. Control experiments indicate that the axons in each segmental nerve arise from different motor neuron populations. Thus, short, in-series fibers are supplied by different motor neurons, and individual long fibers in RCCQ are polyneuronally innervated. These data help explain how long muscle fibers with relatively slow conduction speeds can generate rapid head movements, and they raise questions about the central mechanisms that coordinate the recruitment of RCCQ motor neurons.

Redeployment of trigeminal motor axons during metamorphosis

As a consequence of the degeneration and replacement of the jaw muscle fibers in the leopard frog, Rana pipiens, trigeminal motoneurons innervate different targets before and after metamorphosis. This investigation examined the morphological correlates of the reassignment of trigeminal motoneurons during the initial phases of myofiber turnover. Specifically, silver-cholinesterase histochemistry and electron microscopy were used to 1) identify the fate of motor axons within the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) applied to degenerating larval myofibers and 2) to determine the origin(s) of the motor axons that innervate the postmetamorphic muscle fibers of the jaw. The results demonstrate that the NMJs are retained on larval myofibers throughout their degeneration and are readily identifiable on the residual larval basal laminae that remain after involution of the sarcoplasm. Light and electron microscopic observations provide evidence that both pre- and post-synaptic elements are present on the degenerating fibers. Furthermore, morphometric analyses indicate that the preponderance (86%) of motor axons supplying adult muscle fibers originates from the larval NMJs. This condition suggests that metamorphic redeployment of trigeminal motoneurons occurs through the resumption of growth at the axon terminal supplying larval muscle rather than through the proximal collateralization of these axons and resorption of larval terminals.

Early postnatal changes in presynaptic potassium sensitivity

Amplitude histograms of miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) and the overall frequency of skew-MEPPs and bell-MEPPs were examined in 5 and 15 mM potassium solutions at postnatal day (PD) 3, PD 10 and PD 27 neuromuscular junctions. Temporal non-uniformities in spontaneous release produced clusters of bell-MEPPs at PD 0-PD 3 junctions. PD 3 nerve terminals that preferentially released skew-MEPPs (5 mM potassium) were significantly (P less than 0.01) less sensitive to elevations in potassium than more mature (PD 10) junctions that preferentially released bell-MEPPs. Increases in the potassium concentration at PD 3 junctions increased the frequency of bell-MEPPs and altered the MEPP amplitude distribution profile by significantly (P less than 0.01) reducing the percentage of skew-MEPPs. Although the potassium sensitivity of PD 10 and PD 27 preparations were as expected for adult preparations, there was an increase in overall MEPP frequency in 5 mM potassium between PD 10 and PD 27. These results suggest that early postnatal increases in the number of presynaptic calcium channels establish adult levels of depolarization sensitivity and promote the preferential spontaneous release of bell-MEPPs. Since these changes occur during an early period of synapse elimination, they may play a critical role in synapse stabilization.

Reinnervation of murine muscle following fetal sciatic nerve transection

A technique is reported that permits transection of the sciatic nerve of mouse fetuses without interfering with fetal viability. Sciaticotomy was performed on Swiss Webster mice at day 17 of gestation; the contralateral side served as control. Six weeks later the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles on both sides were injected with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Examination of the lumbar spinal cord revealed that while a substantial number of motor neurons in the region of the spinal cord giving rise to the sciatic nerve died, the EDL muscle did become reinnervated. The size of the EDL motor neuron pool on the denervated-reinnervated side was approximately 43% of that seen on the control side. While the control EDL motor neuron pool was located in lumbar segments L3-L5, the location of the pool to the denervated-reinnervated EDL was shifted cranially to L2-L4. Denervated-reinnervated EDL muscles were analyzed immunohistochemically to study the effect of fetal denervation on the neuronal cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) expression. At 2 weeks postnatal, N-CAM immunoreactivity in control muscle was segregated to the motor end-plate region, while fetally denervated muscle continued to express N-CAM along the length of the sarcolemma. Thus fetally denervated muscle does not develop the same pattern of N-CAM expression as normal, innervated muscle. By 6 weeks of age, the denervated-reinnervated muscle showed the same level and distribution of N-CAM immunoreactivity as did age-matched control muscle, indicating that most, if not all, of its myofibers had been reinnervated.

Reinnervation of developing rat muscle by non-axotomized motoneurons

To study the ability of developing motoneurons to reinnervate their denervated muscle, axotomized motoneurons in rat neonates and pups were retrogradely labeled with two fluorescent tracers. Fluorogold (FG), a long-lasting fluorescent dye, was injected into intercostal muscle T8 to retrogradely label the motoneurons that innervated it. Two days later intercostal nerves T7-T9 were cut. The intercostal muscle denervated at birth was reinnervated within 10-20 days, as evidenced by nerve-evoked muscle contraction. Three weeks following axotomy, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC) was injected into the same muscle to label the motoneurons that reinnervated it. The motoneurons double-labeled with FG and TRITC were, therefore, axotomized motoneurons that regenerated to reinnervate T8. In neonates, axotomy resulted in a significant reduction in the number of FG-labeled motoneurons, which suggests that axon transection at early postnatal days causes a massive motoneuron death. The percentage of double-labeled motoneurons was significantly smaller than that in non-axotomized rats. TRITC-labeled motoneurons constituted the majority of stained motoneurons; these were located in different nuclei than the intercostal motoneurons. These findings suggest that muscle reinnervation is, at least in part, by motoneurons which originally did not innervate intercostal muscle T8. Unlike axotomy at birth, axotomy performed 2-3 weeks after birth did not result in a significant motoneuron loss. The number of stained motoneurons labeled with both FG and TRITC was significantly smaller, however, than in non-axotomized spinal cords. Our data indicate that in pups only a small percentage of axotomized motoneurons reinnervated the denervated muscle.

Inactivity-induced motor nerve terminal sprouting in amphibian skeletal muscles chronically blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin

There is a positive correlation between contractile inactivity and the initiation of motor neuron sprouting. However, the exact mechanism responsible for this neuronal growth remains obscure. In a previous study (M. M. Wines and M.S. Letinsky, 1988, J. Neurosci. 8: 3909-3919) we investigated this phenomenon by inducing chronic contractile inactivity of an amphibian muscle by exposure to formamide and found that motor neuron sprouting occurs in the presence of normal pressynaptic transmitter release and propagated muscle fiber action potentials. The present study investigates motor neuron sprouting in response to inactivity produced when neuromuscular transmission is blocked by chronic exposure to alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BTX). The alpha-BTX-induced muscle paralysis was maintained for 1-63 days by repetitive application of the toxin to the cutaneous pectoris muscle of adult Rana pipiens. During the chronic alpha-BTX treatment end-plate potentials were reduced below threshold, which therefore removed both muscle fiber action potentials and contractile activity. Our findings showed only terminal sprouting. Also, higher sprouting frequencies (up to 100% of the observed terminals) were observed after chronic alpha-BTX treatment, compared to the sprouting response induced by formamide treatment. In view of our earlier formamide results, these observations suggest that the inhibition of the postsynaptic acetylcholine response, and consequently inhibition of muscle fiber electrical and contractile activity, produces a stronger stimulus to motor neuron sprouting than the presence of contractile inactivity alone coupled with normal synaptic transmission and muscle electrical activity.

Innervation and maturation of muscular tissue in testicular teratomas in strain 129/Sv-ter mice

In strain 129/Sv-ter mice, teratomas develop spontaneously during the 13th day of gestation. These testicular germ cell tumors exhibit characteristics of different germ layers closely resembling normal embryonic tissue. We investigated the interrelationship between nervous and muscular tissues (often found side by side) in teratomas of 4-week-old 129/Sv-ter mice. In well-differentiated mouse teratomas, histochemically and immunohistochemically distinct muscle fiber types could be distinguished, but not with all reactions. According to its aerobic oxidative capacity, teratoma muscle tissue was comparable with normal muscles. However, with respect to myosin-related properties, fiber type differentiation was incomplete. The muscle fibers - generally arranged in bundles - contained one centrally located endplate which was contacted mostly by a single nerve terminal. From this, proper endplate zones within the fiber bundles were formed. Occasionally "type grouping" was encountered, suggesting collateral axonal branching paralleled by synapse elimination. Together with the earlier in vivo observation of muscular contractions, we assume that teratoma muscle fibers are innervated by nerve cells (within the nervous tissue compartments) corresponding to spinal motoneurons. Thus, myogenesis, maturation and innervation of skeletal muscular tissue in mouse teratomas are largely comparable to normal development.

Time course of sprouting during muscle reinnervation in vitamin E-deficient rats

A typical aspect of motoneuron plasticity is the sprouting which occurs during muscle reinnervation, resulting in a transitory multiple innervation of the muscle cells. In order to verify the effect of a decreased protection from free radical attack on the sprouting, the multiple innervation in the extensor digitorum longus muscle, following sciatic nerve crush and regeneration, was studied in vitamin E-deficient rats. Thus, the innervated end-plates and the end-plates with multiple innervation were studied with histochemical and electrophysiological techniques. The percentage of innervated end-plates was similar in both groups at 30 as well as at 60 days after nerve crush. Nevertheless, multiple innervation was found in a larger part of the muscle and it lasted longer in the deficient rats. This finding is discussed in relation to some of the major hypotheses of sprouting; it may be relevant in the treatment of some lesions of peripheral nerve.

Sexual dimorphisms in the vocal control system of a teleost fish: ultrastructure of neuromuscular junctions

In the sound-generating fish, Porichthys notatus, large, nest-guarding 'Type I' males use their swimbladder 'drumming' muscles to produce acoustic communication signals. Females and another group of smaller sexually mature males ('Type II') have not been observed to produce sounds. Electron microscopy was used to compare the morphology of the neuromuscular junctions in vocalizing Type I males to those of Type II males and females. Significant differences were seen in synaptic vesicle density, terminal size, degree of terminal invagination below the muscle fiber surface, number of Schwann cell processes along the non-synaptic boundary of boutons, and the number of boutons per innervation site.

Repeated, in vivo observation of frog neuromuscular junctions: remodelling involves concurrent growth and retraction

The fluorescent dye 4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide was used as a vital stain to study remodelling of motor nerve terminals in sartorius muscles of living frogs (Rana pipiens). Identified terminals were observed twice in vivo at intervals of 87-192 days. After the second observation, muscles were fixed and stained with the nitroblue tetrazolium method for nerve terminals and with cholinesterase stain. Observations were made of 243 junctions in 26 frogs. Most nerve terminals grew during the observation interval, with an average increase in total terminal length of 29%. This growth involved substantial remodelling. Within single junctions, the change in size was the net result of differing degrees of growth or shrinkage in individual nerve terminal branches. At least one new terminal branch appeared in 25% of the junctions. Terminal retraction was also common, with branch shortening seen in 60% of junctions and the complete disappearance of a branch in 12%. In one case the original axonal input retracted completely and the junction was partially reinnervated by a terminal sprout from a junction on an adjacent fibre. Some discrepancies between histological and in vivo observations of remodelling were noted. These observations confirm that frog neuromuscular junctions are highly dynamic synapses, subject to profound structural remodelling throughout adult life.

Mechanisms of elimination, remodeling, and competition at frog neuromuscular junctions

Mechanisms governing synapse elimination, synaptic remodeling, and polyneuronal innervation were examined in anatomical and electrophysiological studies of frog neuromuscular junctions. There was a substantial level of polyneuronal innervation in adult junctions and this varied seasonally. Nerve terminal retraction and synapse elimination occurred during normal growth and following reinnervation. Synapse elimination was not inevitable, however. Repeated in vivo observations of some identified junctions showed that polyneuronal innervation could persist for over a year, while at other junctions it arose de novo by terminal sprouting. We concluded that polyneuronal innervation in adult muscles was governed by an equilibrium between processes of retraction and elimination on one hand, and sprouting and synaptogenesis on the other. Other observations revealed that structural remodeling was a common feature of adult junctions. Most often, remodeling involved the simultaneous growth and retraction of different parts of the same junction. The net result was usually junctional growth that, in small frogs, appeared to provide a good match between synaptic size and the electrical demands of transmission. In larger animals, pre- and postsynaptic sizes were not as well matched, providing morphological evidence for a growth-associated decline in synaptic efficacy. Finally, electrophysiology was used to describe some of the functional correlates and consequences of competitive interactions between the terminals of different axons. These results are explained by a hypothetical mechanism that involves trophic support provided by the muscle to the motoneuron, the overall level of nerve-muscle activity, and the synchrony of pre- and postsynaptic activity.

Terminal sprouting in mouse neuromuscular junctions poisoned with botulinum type A toxin: morphological and electrophysiological features

Functional properties of terminal sprouts elicited by an in vivo injection of Clostridium botulinum type A toxin were studied in endplates of the Levator auris longus muscle of the mouse poisoned from a few days to 28 days beforehand. For this purpose, morphological observations of the extent of terminal sprouts and localization of acetylcholine receptors was performed in whole mount preparations. Sprouts appeared as thin unmyelinated filaments that run usually parallel to the longitudinal axis of the muscle fibres; labelling acetylcholine receptors revealed their line-shaped accumulation co-localized with the sprouts. In addition, presynaptic membrane currents elicited by nerve stimulation were recorded by external electrodes applied under visual control onto the membrane of pre-existing motor endings and newly formed sprouts. These recordings showed the presence of widespread triphasic waveforms which indicated active impulse propagation of the action potential over most of the length of the poisoned endings. Ca2+ influx and Ca2(+)-dependent K+ currents in the sprout membrane were found to be similar to those described in unpoisoned endings. The presence of normal Ca2+ influx, upon active depolarization, in the terminal sprout membranes together with the localization of acetylcholine receptors in front of these membranes, indicates that the terminal sprouts may play a role in the recovery of neuromuscular transmission after Clostridium botulinum poisoning.

Seasonal changes in the normal variability in release properties of motor nerve terminals in Rana pipiens

During a 2 1/2 year period, we studied 298 identified endplates from 40 sartorius muscles, correlating their morphology with their synaptic release properties. There is a remarkably large range in evoked and spontaneous quantal release levels when junctions are studied in a low-Ca2+ Ringer. This diversity in release efficacy persists when release is normalized to identified nerve terminal length. We also found that release was significantly larger in the winter (Dec-Feb) than in the spring and summer (Mar-Aug), suggesting seasonal regulation of release properties.

The refinement of invertebrate synapses during development

Evidence is provided that during invertebrate development synapses undergo a period of refinement during which there are changes in synaptic connectivity and specific synaptic properties. It appears that extrinsic cues such as competition and neural activity are involved in guiding these synaptic changes in invertebrates. Comparisons are made with findings in the vertebrate literature.

[Neuromuscular junction changes in experimental myopathies in mice]

Morphological abnormalities of the neuromuscular junction in two murine models with primary myopathy were studied by combined cholinesterase-silver impregnation techniques and electron microscopy. In both situations the results were similar showing that the neuromuscular junction remained unaffected even when innervating necrotic muscle fibres. In regenerated muscle fibres, however, there was marked simplification of the post-synaptic membrane with reduction in number and depth of folds up to 50% of normal values confirmed by morphometric analysis. Since after regeneration succeeded no detectable clinical or physiological alterations were observed in these experiments it seems reasonable to assume that the prominent branching of post-synaptic folds in normal skeletal muscles might represent an increased anatomical safety mechanism in chemical transmission.

Presence of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-like immunoreactivity in the innervation of amphibian skeletal muscle

Amphibian motor nerve terminals are sensitive to a wide variety of peptides, including alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). We determined the presence and distribution of alpha-MSH-like immunoreactivity (alpha-MSHLI) in the innervation of the cutaneous pectoris muscle from bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles and postmetamorphic froglets, and adult frogs (R. catesbeiana and R. pipiens). alpha-MSHLI was found in unmyelinated, noncholinergic axons, in motor axons, and in motor nerve terminals. In motor axons, alpha-MSHLI was predominantly associated with neurofilaments. The distribution of this form of alpha-MSHLI changed during development and seasonally in adult frogs. The possible functional roles of this alpha-MSHLI are discussed.

Rapid neuromuscular remodeling following limb immobilization

The effect of immobilization on endplate morphology of the rat soleus muscles was studied qualitatively and quantitatively. The endplate was visualized by light microscopic zinc iodide osmium (ZIO) staining and by electron microscopy. The soleus muscle was immobilized by pinning of ankle and knee joints at right angles for 5 days. Immobilized muscles were then compared to the contralateral side and to normal litter mates. After 5 days of partial disuse, muscle fibers atrophied and nerve terminal area increased in ZIO-determined measurements. Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of disuse muscle fibers visualized by electron microscopy exhibited greater amounts of degeneration than either contralateral or control NMJs. Degeneration consisted of nerve terminal disruption, exposed junctional folds, and postsynaptic areas which contained little or no postjunctional folds. Regeneration also occurred in the same NMJs, consisting of small terminals associated with large expansion of junctional folds, several small terminals occurring within the same primary synaptic cleft, and several axons wrapped by the same Schwann cell. These observations demonstrate, for the first time, that partial disuse for only 5 days produces muscle atrophy as well as denervation-like changes at the NMJ, which leads to terminal sprouting within the endplate area and remodeling.

Delayed muscle fiber transformation after foreign-reinnervation of excessive muscle tissue

Following partial denervation motor units can increase (by self-reinnervation) as much as four to five times their normal size. To investigate the still unknown quantitative reinnervation capacity of a motor nerve in the case of foreign-reinnervation, in adult male rats the denervated sternomastoid muscle was either self-reinnervated by its original nerve or foreign-reinnervation by the omohyoid nerve, which had to reinnervate the three times the amount of muscle fibers and six times the amount of muscle mass. After survival times of 7, 8, 9, or 10 months, nerves and muscles were investigated histochemically and immunohistochemically. The omohyoid nerve could fully reinnervate the sternomastoid muscle, but at 7 and 8 months this muscle still revealed nearly the same proportions of IIA and IIB fibers as were seen in the self-reinnervated sternomastoid at all stages. However, in the following 2 months a shift of the fiber pattern toward that of the normal omohyoid was observed, as evidenced by a strong increase in type IIB fibers (from 24% to 62%), at the expense of type IIA fibers. These findings are in contrast to those after foreign (cross) reinnervation of leg muscles where the fiber transformation (according to the foreign motor input) occurs in parallel with the reinnervation process during the first 2-3 months. The delayed fiber transformation observed could be the consequence of the highly enlarged peripheral field of the omohyoid motoneuron pool or could merely reflect a general difference between limb and neck muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Terminal nerve sprouting at the frog neuromuscular junction induced by prolonged tetrodotoxin blockade of nerve conduction

The effects of a prolonged blockade of nerve conduction by tetrodotoxin on frog motor innervation were studied in the cutaneous pectoris muscle of Rana esculenta. Prolonged nerve blockade (up to 22 days) was obtained by repeated subperineural injections of tetrodotoxin. Changes in morphological parameters of neuromuscular junctions were investigated in muscles after staining with a combined cholinesterase-silver method. In addition, changes in the incidence of polyneuronal innervation were investigated conjointly by electrophysiology and morphology. Morphometric analysis of singly innervated muscle fibres of 60 microns diameter revealed insignificant changes during the first week of tetrodotoxin-nerve blockade. After 15 days of paralysis, the mean length of synaptic contacts and the mean length of terminal arborization per synapse were significantly increased as compared to controls (contralateral muscles and citrate buffer-injected controls). After 20-22 days, differences in synaptic and aborization mean lengths were accentuated and reached 44 and 43%, respectively. At that time, the mean number of terminal branching points and of continuous synaptic contacts were also significantly increased (around 20 and 50%, respectively). No changes in the length of abandoned gutters were observed. The incidence of focal polyaxonal innervation (detected morphologically) and of polyneuronal innervation (determined electrophysiologically) was unchanged. The results show that prolonged tetrodotoxin blockade induces sprouting of the terminal arborization which results in an extension of pre-existing nerve terminals and an increase in the complexity of terminal arborization by addition of new branches. Nodal (collateral) sprouting was not changed.

Sprouting of frog motor nerve terminals after long-term paralysis by botulinum type A toxin

A single sublethal injection of botulinum type A toxin (BoTx-A) to winter frogs induced a general and complete paralysis of skeletal muscles, which lasted several months. Quantitative analysis of 483 end-plates from 8 BoTx-A poisoned muscles and 495 endplates from 8 control muscles revealed a higher and significant incidence of terminal and ultraterminal sprouts in poisoned junctions when taking into account the normal remodelling of motor innervation. We conclude that prolonged neuromuscular blockade by BoTx-A results in the extension of the nerve terminal arborization.

The development of cholinergic neurons

Motoneuron precursors acquire some principles of their spatial organization early in their cell lineage, probably at the blastula stage. A predisposition to the cholinergic phenotype in motoneurons and some neural crest cells is detectable at the gastrula to neurula stages. Cholinergic expression is evident upon cessation of cell division. Cholinergic neurons can synthesize ACh during their migration and release ACh from their growth cones prior to target contact or synapse formation. Neurons of different cell lineages can express the cholinergic phenotype, suggesting the importance of secondary induction. Early cholinergic commitment can be modified or reversed until later in development when it is amplified during interaction with target. Motoneurons extend their axons and actively sort out in response to local environmental cues to make highly specific connections with appropriate muscles. The essential elements of the matching mechanism are not species-specific. A certain degree of topographic matching is present throughout the nervous system. In dissociated cell culture, most topographic specificity is lost due to disruption of local environmental cues. Functional cholinergic transmission occurs within minutes of contact between the growth cone and a receptive target. These early contacts contain a few clear vesicles but lack typical ultrastructural specializations and are physiologically immature. An initial stabilization of the nerve terminal with a postsynaptic AChR cluster is not prevented by blocking ACh synthesis, electrical activity, or ACh receptors, but AChR clusters are not induced by non-cholinergic neurons. After initial synaptic contact, there is increasing deposition of presynaptic active zones and synaptic vesicles, extracellular basal lamina and AChE, and postjunctional ridges over a period of days to weeks. There is a concomitant increase in m.e.p.p. frequency, mean quantal content, metabolic stabilization of AChRs, and maturation of single channel properties. At the onset of synaptic transmission, cell death begins to reduce the innervating population of neurons by about half over a period of several days. If target tissue is removed, almost all neurons die. If competing neurons are removed or additional target is provided, cell death is reduced in the remaining population. Pre- or postsynaptic blockade of neuromuscular transmission postpones cell death until function returns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inherited neuromuscular diseases in the mouse. A review of the literature

There are several neuromuscular disorders affecting the human being. Most of these are poorly understood and lack and effective treatment. Due to the limitation of experimental manipulation in "anima nobili", inherited neuromuscular diseases in laboratory animals constitute a valuable source of scientific information. Amongst several animal species affected by neuromuscular disorders the house mouse is of particular interest because of its small size, short pregnancy and low costs of maintanence. In the present review 20 murine mutants with diseases affecting peripheral nerves, skeletal muscles and motor end-plates are tabulated. Genetic, clinical and pathological aspects are discussed aiming to provide information about these mutants which might be of great interest as animal models for human neuromuscular diseases.

Filopodia, lamellipodia and retractions at mouse neuromuscular junctions

In order to determine if mature motor nerve terminals retain structures associated with development such as filopodia and lamellipodia, we studied whole mounts of mature mouse neuromuscular junctions stained with both fluorescent-labelled tetanus toxin C-fragment and alpha-bungarotoxin, and employed electron microscopy in parallel. The rapid fluorescent stain may be of general usefulness. Both filopodia and lamellipodia were found, extending beyond the border of the established postsynaptic receptors. Filopodia often appeared in clusters, were devoid of a synaptic vesicle antigen, and many withdrew in response to cytochalasin D. Control experiments demonstrated that filopodia were not induced by the toxin treatment. The mean number of filopodia per endplate varied from about one in phasic muscle to three in tonic muscle, and was twice as great in immature mouse muscle. Postsynaptic receptor-rich regions without overlying terminals were less numerous than filopodial and lamellipodial projections without underlying receptors. Electron microscopy showed that lamellipodia contained actin-like filaments and immunoreactivity to actin, but no neurofilaments, microtubules, mitochondria or vesicles. Therefore, these structures would not be visualized by in vivo mitochondrial stains. The lamellipodia protruded into the gap between muscle and a closely overlying Schwann cell process. Lamellipodia occupied about 5% of the linear extent of the terminal arbor in whole mounts, but appeared in 16% of random electron micrographic fields. Thus, the lamellipodia and filopodia typical of developing terminals are present in adulthood and represent a distinctive specialization of the nerve terminal, which may interact with the adjacent Schwann and muscle cell. The frequency of filopodia is a function of age and of muscle or motoneuron type. We suggest that some of the factors known to regulate growth of filopodia and lamellipodia in vitro or in development may continue to act at adult presynaptic nerve terminals.

Electrophysiological and morphological study of polyneuronal innervation in the cutaneous pectoris muscle of adult frog (Rana esculenta)

The incidence of polyneuronal innervation in the cutaneous pectoris muscle of the adult frog, Rana esculenta, was determined quantitatively using electrophysiological and morphological techniques. The mean percentages of multiple innervated endplates obtained with both techniques from a series of 19 muscles examined at all times of the year were in very good correlation: 30.7% (196/639 endplates) by electrophysiology and 30.5% (478/1569 endplates) by morphology. In nine muscles examined during the period from December to March the mean percentages, 36.8% (110/299) by electrophysiology and 38.6% (281/727) by morphology, were significantly higher than those obtained for 10 muscles investigated during the period from May to November, 25.3% (86/340) and 23.4% (197/842) with both techniques respectively. The higher incidence of collateral sprouted branches detected at polyinnervated endplate sites in muscles of winter frogs might be related to these seasonal variations. Most of the 1688 fibres from 26 muscles examined throughout the year exhibited one centrally located endplate. However, around 11% of them were found to be innervated at two separate endplate sites. Muscle fibres exhibiting this type of innervation were invariably the largest fibres in each muscle tested, having an apparent diameter greater than 48 micron. The distance between the endplates of these fibres represented between 10 and 30% of their total length. No significant seasonal variations were observed in the incidence of these dually innervated fibres. In conclusion, both electrophysiological and morphological results show that the normal incidence of polyneuronal innervation in the cutaneous pectoris muscle of adult Rana esculenta is affected by seasonal related factors which influence the nodal sprouting activity. Moreover, they show that a dual pattern of innervation is a common feature in large fibres of this muscle.

Correlated muscle and nerve development in the bullfrog cutaneous pectoris

The development of the cutaneous pectoris muscle was studied and compared with the differentiation of its peripheral nerve in bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles and frogs by light and electron microscopic techniques. This muscle preparation was chosen for this study because it possesses a number of advantages for (and has become a model system for) the study of correlated nerve-muscle development. At the earliest stage examined (stage XI) the presumptive muscle did not contain any contractile or morphologically distinguishable myotubes, but was contacted by the well-defined cutaneous pectoris nerve trunk. Myotubes were present at stage XII, the same time that nerve-associated acetylcholine receptor aggregations and nerve-evoked muscle contractions were first observed. The adult number of axons was present in the cutaneous pectoris nerve at stage XII, but no axons were myelinated. Gradually thereafter, the number of muscle fibers increased and the cutaneous pectoris axons became myelinated. By stages XX and XXI, but prior to metamorphic climax (stage XXV), the adult numbers of cutaneous pectoris muscle fibers and myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers were present. These numbers did not change significantly between stages XX and XXI, through metamorphosis, and in the adult, even during the period of the most rapid loss of multiple innervation in the first 2 weeks after metamorphosis. These results show that the nerve was present and in contact with the cutaneous pectoris muscle from the earliest stages of development prior to muscle differentiation, at a time when the muscle was a disorganized mass of undifferentiated cells. Such early contact suggests that the nerve may have a significant influence on muscle maturation.

Neuromuscular junction development in the cutaneous pectoris muscle of Rana catesbeiana

Synaptic specializations were studied in the developing cutaneous pectoris muscle of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles and froglets to correlate nerve terminal morphology (by light and electron microscopy), accumulation of acetylcholine receptors, and the ability of the muscle to contract following nerve stimulation. This correlated approach was used to determine the developmental timing and possible causal relationship of events in nerve and muscle maturation at the neuromuscular junction. Initially, the cutaneous pectoris nerve trunk was present in the undifferentiated presumptive cutaneous pectoris mesenchyme, prior to muscle maturation. At stage XII when the muscle was first able to contract weakly in response to nerve stimulation, the motor nerve terminal endings were simple bulbous enlargements associated with diffuse subneural aggregations of acetylcholine receptors (indicated by diffuse speckles of rhodamine alpha-bungarotoxin fluorescence). Before stage XII no rhodamine alpha-bungarotoxin fluorescence was present anywhere in the muscle. The first stage in the organization of acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction was the accumulation of diffuse speckles of fluorescence beneath the terminal enlargements. This was followed by the clustering of receptors into small polygonal areas at each synaptic site, and finally the organization of receptors into parallel linear rows. Presumably this final stage was associated with formation of junctional folds. By stage XV the synapses were multiply innervated and had developed acetylcholinesterase activity. The general nerve terminal morphology and pattern of accumulation of acetylcholine receptors at cutaneous pectoris neuromuscular junctions were similar to those of the adult throughout metamorphic climax except that they still contained more than one motor axon. After metamorphic climax, elimination of multiple innervation occurred.

Changes in the distribution of synapses during growth: a quantitative morphological study of the neuromuscular system of fishes

The distribution of synaptic sites on multiply innervated muscle fibres was analysed in four teleost fish species (zebrafish, trout, goldfish and stickleback), using acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. Fishes were chosen for this study rather than other vertebrates because of their long period of growth and continuous increase of muscle fibre size. We found that length and diameter of the fibres increase linearly with fish length but that the distance between synaptic sites increases only as the square root of the fish length and of muscle fibre size. This is explained functionally in connection with the increase of the space constant of a muscle fibre that is expected to accompany the increase of its diameter. We suggest that the change in the synaptic distribution is caused by factors associated with the increasingly wider spread of postsynaptic potentials along the growing fibres, as the intersynaptic distance was found to correlate more strongly with fibre size than with other factors, such as age, speed of growth and genetical background.

A lectin, peanut agglutinin, as a probe for the extracellular matrix in living neuromuscular junctions

The extracellular matrix plays important roles in the differentiation of synapses. To identify molecules concentrated specifically in the synaptic extracellular matrix, fluorescently-labelled lectins were applied to neuromuscular junctions. A lectin, peanut agglutinin (PNA), stains the neuromuscular region selectively and irreversibly (up to at least 3 weeks in situ), outlining the periphery of the nerve terminal arborization in the frog. Snake neuromuscular junctions also stain intensely with fluorescent PNA, while mouse diaphragm staining is faint. At the electron microscopic level, the reaction products of horseradish peroxidase-conjugated PNA are found primarily in the extracellular matrix flanking Schwann cells in the frog endplate regions. Fluorescently labelled PNA does not affect synaptic potentials and can serve as a simple stain for correlating functional studies of living neuromuscular junctions. Moreover, it can be combined with a presynaptic dye to observe nerve terminals and synaptic extracellular matrix in the same junctions in situ. This report reveals the existence of synapse-specific carbohydrates associated with Schwann cell extracellular matrix in the frog neuromuscular junction. The specific binding and its physiological compatibility make PNA a useful probe for further investigation of synaptic differentiation, plasticity and maintenance.

Effects of low calcium and inhibition of calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) on mature nerve terminal structure in the rat sternocostalis muscle

The possible role of calcium and a calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) in the reorganisation of mature mammalian neuromuscular junctions was studied in the sternocostalis muscle in rats. After the well-documented loss of polyneuronal innervation has occurred, the remaining single mature nerve ending continues to change its terminal branching pattern by gradually becoming more complex. Reducing local calcium concentrations by the chelating agent BAPTA or inhibiting CANP by local application of an inhibitor, Leupeptin, resulted in the endings becoming more complex in appearance when examined after 6 or 7 days. It is concluded that calcium and CANP are important in the remodelling of mature neuromuscular junctions.

Section of fibular nerve affects activity pattern and contractile properties of soleus motor units in adult rats

Transection of the common fibular (FIB) nerve caused an immediate reduction in the total amount of soleus (SOL) motor unit activity, which declined further during the following 10 days and then remained stable at less than half of normal values. In addition, there was an immediate reduction in median impulse rate from about 20.0 to 14.9 Hz followed by a return to normal values during the first 10 days. Short interval (3-4 ms) double discharges, occurring either in isolation or at the same regular intervals as single impulses, were observed 2-5 days after FIB nerve section in a few motor units. Brief, high frequency impulse bursts with interspike intervals of 12-16 ms were observed in a few units from the third day and until the end of the experiment (up to 31 days). It was not established whether the high frequency discharge pattern occurred only in a fixed population of the SOL motor units, or whether the units could switch between high and low frequency activity. Two months after FIB nerve section, the SOL muscle in the same leg contracted faster than normal (mean isometric twitch contraction time 29.6 ms, n = 4; vs. 38.7 ms, n = 8), contained a larger than normal percentage of type II fibres (13-36 vs. 0-0.2%) and weighed less than the contralateral SOL muscles (180 vs. 206 mg). SOL muscles (n = 4) in the opposite leg were comparable to normal SOL muscles except for a small reduction in mean isometric twitch contraction time (35.5 ms).

Postnatal transient expression of long-lasting descending inhibitory effect on spinal reflexes in the rat

In the spinal cord isolated from neonatal rats, stimulation of the ipsilateral lateral column at the thoracic level strongly inhibited monosynaptic segmental reflex in the lumbar cord for about 60 s. The descending inhibition was not associated with any changes in the membrane potential or conductance in lumbar motoneurons when the excitatory postsynaptic potentials in response to stimulation of the dorsal root were depressed. The descending inhibition was diminished with age and could not be detected at 5 months of age. It is suggested that certain inhibitory pathways in the descending spinal tract are rearranged during postnatal development of rats.

Maintenance of specificity by sprouting and regenerating peripheral nerves. II. Variability after lesions

In previous studies we showed that collateral sprouting in cat tibialis anterior (TA) muscle was elicited by selective peripheral spinal nerve section sparing L7. After chronic (3 week) section of L5, L6, S1 and S2 spinal nerves in the present study, two different reflex patterns were observed. In some cats, with presumed prefixation of the lumbosacral plexus, the TA tendon reflex was weakened initially and became stronger beginning 2-3 days postoperative. In other cats, with presumed postfixation of the plexus, the TA tendon reflex was abolished for 7-9 days and then returned. The TA muscles were injected with HRP and labeled motor neurons plotted. In the 'prefixed' first group, the number, location and size of motor neurons projecting to TA through the spared L7 nerve were symmetrical when acute and chronic sides were compared. In the 'postfixed' group (reflex abolished then returned) the acute and chronic sides were asymmetrical: the chronic side displayed a significant increase in number of labeled cells and an increase in the rostocaudal extent of the cell column within the L7 segment. These results are consistent with two types of collateral sprouting: homonymous, in which the sprouts arise from nerves within the muscle, and heteronymous, in which the sprouts arise from nerves in adjacent muscles. In animals with very chronic (up to 2 years) spinal nerve section (L5, L6, S1 and S2) regeneration of the cut nerves was superimposed on the spared L7 innervation. Topography was completely disrupted except in the L7 segment. Thus, there appears to be a difference in specificity of motor neurons for target sites depending upon degree and location of denervation. Homonymous sprouting displays strict specificity, regeneration does not and heteronymous sprouting represents an intermediate form in which cells are recruited from adjacent motor neuron pools in the segment of the spared innervation.

Non-uniform release at the frog neuromuscular junction: evidence of morphological and physiological plasticity

The frog neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a fusiform structure parallel to the muscle fiber with a few secondary and tertiary branches. Both sprouting and regression can occur on the same nerve terminal, suggesting a continuous on-going remodelling of the mature neuromuscular junction. Thus, the frog NMJ is a dynamic structure. Ultrastructural observations of the nerve terminal suggest that the active zones are distributed equally along the mature nerve terminal. Disorganized active zones have however been observed in distal regions. The density of synaptic vesicles is also uniform throughout the whole structure. However, mitochondria appear to be more abundant in the very distal regions of the nerve terminal. The postjunctional folds and the cholinergic receptors are also uniformly distributed along the NMJ. However, during remodelling periods, the distributions of postjunctional folds and of cholinergic receptors are not uniform in the degenerating and regenerating regions. Fig. 1 summarizes these morphological data. The frequency of spontaneous release (MEPPs) at the NMJ is higher in the proximal region than in the distal regions and recent evidence suggests that the mean MEPP amplitude is higher in the proximal than in the distal portions. Evoked transmitter release is also non-uniform along the frog NMJ. As for spontaneous release, it is higher in the proximal regions than in the distal regions. Failures of the active propagation of the PNAP at low safety points, such as the end of the myelinated axon and the branching points, may be one of the mechanisms responsible for unequal evoked release. It is also possible that the PNAP does not actively invade the whole extend of the nerve terminal since Na+ channels are absent from the distal regions. Fig. 2 summarizes these physiological data.