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Golgi cells, granule cells and synaptic glomeruli in the molecular layer of the rabbit cerebellar cortex

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Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

A sheet of regularly spaced Golgi cells, each associated with a number of granule cells and with synaptic glomeruli, lies at mid-molecular layer level in the cerebellar cortex of adult rabbits. These ‘ectopic’ tissue units, which are markedly different from the surrounding molecular layer neuropil were studied by light and electron microscopy.

The Golgi cells display high AChE activity and are present in maximum density in the vermis of lobules IX and X and in the dorsal part of the paraflocculus. The cells are remarkably regularly spaced, constituting a lattice-like (possibly hexagonal or triagonal) array. In Golgi impregnations, their main dendrites extend perpendicular to the surface of the folium and issue horizontal branches. Their axons descend towards the granular layer. Parallel fibres synapse with their perikarya and main dendrites.

Up to 30 granule cells are associated with each Golgi cell; these lie predominantly deep to the Golgi cells in a periaxonal position. The synaptic glomeruli associated with the cells appear to be mossy fibre glomeruli similar to those of the granular layer. A somato-dendritic synapse between a molecular layer granule cell and a Purkyne cell dendritic spine was observed.

Golgi cells and associated granule cells are also present in the molecular layer of the hare cerebellar cortex. In addition prominent sub-pial clusters of undescended granule cells, were observed in the hare cerebellum.

We suggest that the molecular layer Golgi cells with their associated granule cells and synaptic glomeruli, cannot represent a simple developmental aberration. The tissue units they comprise are normal rather than ectopic elements of the molecular layer in rabbits and hares.

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  1. Departments of Histology and Anatomy, Charles University Medical F aculty, Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia

    J. Spačer, J. Pařízek & A. R. Lieberman

  2. Department of Anatomy, University College London, UK

    J. Spačer, J. Pařízek & A. R. Lieberman

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  1. J. Spačer
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Spačer, J., Pařízek, J. & Lieberman, A.R. Golgi cells, granule cells and synaptic glomeruli in the molecular layer of the rabbit cerebellar cortex. J Neurocytol 2, 407–428 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01103798

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