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Post-embryonic development of rectifying electrical synapses in the crayfish: ultrastructure

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

The post-embryonic development of the rectifying Giant Fibre-Motor Giant (GF-MoG) synapse and the Giant Fibre-Segmental Giant (GF-SG) synapse has been investigated using electron-microscopy. In adults, the MoG and SG neurons make contact with the GFs by sending narrow ‘finger-like’ processes through the glial and connective tissue sheath surrounding each GF. The junctional region is characterized by closely apposed membranes (approximately 4 nm separation) traversed by regularly spaced connections, and large (60–80 nm) spherical vesicles in the presynaptic fibre.

In newly hatched crayfish junctional contact is made over extensive areas of flat membrane apposition, due to the absence of a thick connective sheath around the giant fibres. Initially the junctional region is dominated by contacts which are morphologically indistinguishable from chemical synapses, i.e.

  1. 1.

    The apposed membranes are separated by a cleft of approximately 20–30 nm (an order of magnitude larger than the cleft distance at electrotonic synapses).

  2. 2.

    There is pre- and post-synaptic thickening of the junctional membranes with a dense cytoplasmic material.

  3. 3.

    Small (25–40nm) pleomorphic vesicles are found on the presynaptic side of the junction, commonly in association with a dense presynaptic bar.

Regions of junctional contact displaying the adult electrotonic-type morphology first appear at approximately one week post-hatching. At this age they are limited in distribution and occupy a central position in the area of contact surrounded by a broad ‘chemical-like’ annulus. During subsequent development these sites with electrotonic-type morphology grow in relative size, so that the ‘chemical-like’ sites become compressed towards the edges of the regions of contact. The adult type of morphology, in which the ‘chemical-like’ regions are vestigial, is achieved approximately two months after hatching.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St Andrews, KY16 8LB, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

    B. Leitch, J. L. S. Cobb & W. J. Heitler

  2. Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, UK

    R. M. Pitman

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  1. B. Leitch
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  2. J. L. S. Cobb
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  3. W. J. Heitler
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  4. R. M. Pitman
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Leitch, B., Cobb, J.L.S., Heitler, W.J. et al. Post-embryonic development of rectifying electrical synapses in the crayfish: ultrastructure. J Neurocytol 18, 749–761 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01187228

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01187228

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