MICROSCOPY Vol.43▶No.3 2008
â– Reviews

Neuronal Network Linked by Gap Junctions

Takaichi Fukuda

Abstract: Recent studies have revealed frequent occurrence of gap junctions between neurons of particular types. However, for technical reasons it was almost impossible to know the architecture of gap junction-coupled networks. We have developed a new method to visualize three-dimensional organization of gap junction networks by a correlated CLSM-EM. Gap junctions among GABAergic interneurons in the cerebral cortex establish dense and continuous networks that extend laterally in a boundless manner. Structural plan of gap junction networks is implicated for mechanisms of representation of information in the brain.

Key words: gap junction, interneuron, GABA, connexin36, cerebral cortex