Visualization of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter in cholinergic nerve terminals and its targeting to a specific population of small synaptic vesicles

摘要

Immunohistochemical visualization of the rat vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in cholin- ergic neurons and nerve terminals has been compared to that for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), heretofore the most specific marker for cholinergic neurons. VAChT-positive cell bodies were visualized in cerebral cortex, basal forebrain, medial habenula, striatum, brain stem, and spinal cord by using a polyclonal anti-VAChT antiserum.