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Nucleolar organization in granule cell neurons of the rat cerebellum

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

The present light and electron microscopic study deals with the morphology and cytochemical properties of the nucleolus in mature granule cells of the rat cerebellum. Nucleolar organization has been examined by several different methodological approaches: (a) determination of the number of nucleoli per cell from smear preparations, (b) morphometric estimation of nucleolar size, and (c) ultrastructural and cytochemical characterization of nucleolar components. The mean number of nucleoli per cell was found to be 1.46 ± 0.02 (mean ± SEM). The morphometric measurement of the nucleolar area showed an average value of 0.359 ± 0.07 μm2 (mean ± SDM). At the electron microscope level, most granule cell nucleoli displayed a fine texture which does not differ substantially from the ‘ring-shaped’ configuration usually found in cells with low levels of protein synthesis activity; i.e., a large round fibrillar centre surrounded by the dense fibrillar component, and small masses of granular component segregated from the preceding constituents. The meaning of this nucleolar configuration is discussed in the light of recent ultrastructural and biochemical data on nucleolar function. A relationship between this pattern of nucleolar organization and metabolic characteristics of the granule cells is suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Cantabria, Faculty of Medicine, 39011, Santander, Spain

    Miguel Lafarga, Maria T. Berciano & Juan Villegas

  2. Department of Cytology and Histology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

    Jose P. Hervas

Authors
  1. Miguel Lafarga
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  2. Maria T. Berciano
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  3. Jose P. Hervas
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  4. Juan Villegas
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Lafarga, M., Berciano, M.T., Hervas, J.P. et al. Nucleolar organization in granule cell neurons of the rat cerebellum. J Neurocytol 18, 19–26 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01188420

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01188420

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