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Cell Biology International (2010) 34, 361–364 (Printed in Great Britain)

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Ultrastructural analysis of interneuronal syncytial perforations

Oleg S Sotnikov*¹, Nataly M Paramonova* and Ludmila I Archakova†

*Laboratory of Neuron Functional Morphology and Physiology, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarov Embankment, 6, St Petersburg 199034, Russia, and †Center of Electron and Light Microscopy, Academy of Sciences of Byelorussia, Minsk, Byelorussia

The structural regularities of the organization of interneuronal syncytial cytoplasmic connections between neuronal bodies in gyrus dentatus and CA1 and CA2 (CA is cornu ammonis) of hippocampus, as well as between cell neurites of the caudal mesenteric ganglion were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The syncytial perforations are located only on the base of tight junctions. The perforations have rounded edges corresponding to the fusion edges of perforated membranes of adjacent neurons – or where their edges have a form of thinned plate – a remnant of the tight junction. In the lumen of the perforations, remnants of contact membranes – residual bodies – are revealed. On living neurons in tissue culture, the syncytial connection of two contacting processes of different neurons is found during the death of the body of one of them, but with preservation of viability of its processes that contact with other neurons.

Key words: neuronal syncytium, syncytial connection, syncytial perforation

Abbreviations: CA, cornu ammonis

¹To whom correspondence should be addressed (email sotnikov@kolt.infran.ru).

Received 5 April 2009/5 October 2009; accepted 22 October 2009

Published as Cell Biology International Immediate Publication 22 October 2009, doi:10.1042/CBI20090160

© The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2010 Portland Press Limited