Abstract
The distribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the eyestalk tissues of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was studied using NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and an NOS biochemical assay. In the retina, NADPH-d activity was detected in the rhabdom of the ommatidium and axons of retinular cells that terminate in the lamina ganglionaris. In the eyestalk ganglia, NADPH-d was localized to the fibers in the 1st chiasma that connect the lamina ganglionaris and medulla externa, and 2 prominent fiber tracts that appear to originate from the medulla terminalis, project distally, and terminate in the synaptic layers of the medulla interna. In addition, NIADPH-d-positive somata were found in the periphery of the medulla externa. Specific staining of NADPH-d activity was eliminated by DPIP, an inhibitor of NOS-associated NADPH-d. The distribution pattern of NADPH-d activity described above is much broader than that of NOS-immunoreactivity reported in a previous study (Lee et al. 2000). Biochemical analysis revealed that the regions (the medulla interna and medulla terminalis) where only NADPH-d activity (but not NOS-immunoreactivity) was detected also contained significant levels of NOS activity, suggesting that the observed NADPH-d activity is associated with NOS. The combined results indicate that, in contrast to a highly restricted pattern suggested by immunohistochemical data, NOS is widely distributed in the crayfish eyestalk and implicates NO in the processing of visual information.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 244-250 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Zoological Studies |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - 2002 Jul 1 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Animal Science and Zoology