Abstract
Johnson et al. have recently shown that several positively charged, membrane-permeant fluorescent dyes can serve as vital stains for mitochondria in cultured cells1,2 (see also ref. 3). We report here that presynaptic nerve terminals, which are characteristically rich in mitochondria4,5, can also be vitally stained with such dyes, and that this staining offers a resolution of structural detail not available with previous methods for visualizing terminals in living tissues. The dyes have provided excellent, highly detailed fluorescence images of presynaptic motor nerve terminals at neuromuscular junctions in conventional live tissue preparations from mouse, frog and Drosophila. In addition, when tested at the frog neuromuscular junction, at least one of the dyes permitted visualization of terminals with little, if any, effect on synaptic transmission. Moreover, we have found that by using the dyes it is now also possible to see motor nerve terminals in situ in live animals.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Johnson, L. V., Walsh, M. L. & Ghen, L. B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 990–994 (1980).
Johnson, L. V., Walsh, M. L., Bockus, B. J. & Chen, L. B. J. Cell Biol. 88, 526–535 (1981).
Hetherington, D. C. Stain Technol. 11, 153–154 (1936).
Gray, E. G. & Guillery, R. W. Int. Rev. Cytol. 19, 111–182 (1966).
Peters, A., Palay, S. L. & Webester, H. deF. The Fine Structure of the Nervous System: The Neurons and Supporting Cells (W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1976).
McMahan, U. J., Spitzer, N. C. & Peper, K. Proc. R. Soc. B181, 421–430 (1972).
McArdle, J. J. et al. J. Neurosci. Meth. 4, 109–115 (1981).
Akert, K. & Sandri, C. Brain Res. 7, 286–295 (1968).
Jan, L. Y. & Jan, Y. N. J. Physiol., Lond. 262, 189–214 (1976).
Sims, P. J., Waggoner, A. S., Wang, C. H. & Hoffman, J. F. Biochemistry 13, 3315–3330 (1974).
Waggoner, A. S., Wang, C. H. & Tolles, R. L. J. Membrane Biol. 33, 109–140 (1977).
Alnaes, E. & Rahamimoff, R. J. Physiol., Lond. 248, 285–306 (1975).
Waggoner, A. S. A. Rev. Biophys. Bioengng 8, 47–68 (1979).
Freedman, J. C. & Laris, P. C. Int. Rev. Cytol. Suppl. 12, 177–246 (1981).
McMahan, U. J. & Kuffller, S. W. Proc. R. Soc. B177, 485–508 (1971).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yoshikami, D., Okun, L. Staining of living presynaptic nerve terminals with selective fluorescent dyes. Nature 310, 53–56 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/310053a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/310053a0
This article is cited by
-
The neuronal naturalist: watching neurons in their native habitat
Nature Neuroscience (2001)
-
Effect of chronic clonidine treatment on transmitter release from sympathetic varicosities of the guinea-pig vas deferens
British Journal of Pharmacology (2001)
-
The central nervous system ofGrillotia erinaceus (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) as revealed by immunocytochemistry and neural tracing
Parasitology Research (1995)
-
Regular and photodamage-enhanced remodelling in vitally stained frog and mouse neuromuscular junctions
Journal of Neurocytology (1993)
-
Plasticity of presynaptic and postsynaptic elements of neuromuscular junctions repeatedly observed in living adult mice
Journal of Neurocytology (1991)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
