Review Correlative microscopy of Purkinje cells

The Purkinje cell and their synaptic contacts have been described using (1) light microsocopy, (2) transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and freeze etching technique, (3) conventional and field emission scanning electron microscopy and cryofracture methods, (4) confocal laser scanning microscopy using intravital stain FM64, and (5) immunocytochemical techniques for Synapsin-I, PSD9-5, GluR1 subunit of AMPA receptors, N-cadherin, and CamKII alpha. The outer surface and inner content of plasma membrane, cell organelles, cytoskeleton, nucleus, dendritic and axonal processes have been exposed and analyzed in a three-dimensional view. The intramembrane morphology, in biand three-dimensional views, and immunocytochemical labeling of synaptic contacts with parallel and climbing fibers, basket and stellate cell axons have been characterized. Freeze etching technique, field emission scanning microscopy and cryofracture methods, and GluR1 immunohistochemistry showed the morphology and localization of postsynaptic receptors. Purkinje cell shows N-cadherin and CamKII alpha immunoreactivity. The correlative microscopy approach provides a deeper understanding of structure and function of the Purkinje cell, a new three-dimensional outer and inner vision, a more detailed study of afferent and intrinsic synaptic junctions, and of intracortical circuits. BIOCELL 2011, 35(3): 1-29 ISSN 0327 9545 PRINTED IN ARGENTINA Light microscopy and Golgi light microscopy The Purkinje cells were first described at light microscopy (LM) level by Purkinje (1837), and subsequently by Denissenko (1877), Golgi (1882, 1886), Ramón y Cajal (1955a, b; 1890), Kölliker (1890), Retzius (1892), Dogiel (1896), Smirnov (1897), Held (1897), Crevatin (1898), Bielschowski and Wolff (1904), Lache (1906), Estable (1923), Jakob (1928), Fox and Barnard (1957), Fox (1962) and Fox et al. (1964). Transmission electron microscopy With the advent of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) Purkinje cells were meticulously examined in several vertebrates, mainly by Palay and Palade (1955), Gray (1961), Herndon (1963), Hamori and Szentágothai (1964, 1968), Eccles et al. (1967), Castejón (1968), Sotelo (1969), Mugnaini (1972) and Palay and Chan-Palay (1974). Gray (1961) first described by LM and TEM the Purkinje spine synapses. Herndon (1963) described by TEM the fine structure of Purkinje cells. Fox (1962), Fox et al. (1964, 1967), and Eccles et al. (1967) carried out Golgi LM and TEM studies of vertebrate Purkinje cells. The most detailed description of Purkinje cells by LM, TEM and Golgi *Address correspondence to: Orlando J. Castejón. E-mail: [email protected] Revised version received: October 1, 2011. Accepted: October 15,