Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Quantitative ultrastructural analysis of basket and axo-axonic cell terminals in the mouse hippocampus

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Brain Structure and Function Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three functionally different populations of perisomatic interneurons establish GABAergic synapses on hippocampal pyramidal cells: parvalbumin (PV)-containing basket cells, type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1)-positive basket cells both of which target somata, and PV-positive axo-axonic cells that innervate axon initial segments. Using electron microscopic reconstructions, we estimated that a pyramidal cell body receives synapses from about 60 and 140 synaptic terminals in the CA1 and CA3 area, respectively. About 60 % of these terminals were PV positive, whereas 35–40 % of them were CB1 positive. Only about 1 % (CA1) and 4 % (CA3) of the somatic boutons were negative for both markers. Using fluorescent labeling, we showed that most of the CB1-positive terminals expressed vesicular glutamate transporter 3. Reconstruction of somatic boutons revealed that although their volumes are similar, CB1-positive boutons are more flat and the total volume of their mitochondria was smaller than that of PV-positive boutons. Both types of boutons contain dense-core vesicles and frequently formed multiple release sites on their targets and innervated an additional soma or dendrite as well. PV-positive boutons possessed small, macular synapses; whereas the total synaptic area of CB1-positive boutons was larger and formed multiple irregular-shaped synapses. Axo-axonic boutons were smaller than somatic boutons, had only one synapse and their ultrastructural parameters were closer to those of PV-positive somatic boutons. Our results represent the first quantitative measurement—using a highly reliable method—of the contribution of different cell types to the perisomatic innervation of pyramidal neurons, and may help to explain functional differences in their output properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acsády L, Arabadzisz D, Freund TF (1996) Correlated morphological and neurochemical features identify different subsets of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive interneurons in rat hippocampus. Neuroscience 73:299–315

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong C, Soltesz I (2012) Basket cell dichotomy in microcircuit function. J Physiol 590:683–694

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bartos M, Elgueta C (2012) Functional characteristics of parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-expressing basket cells. J Physiol 590:669–681

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berod A, Hartman BK, Pujol JF (1981) Importance of fixation in immunohistochemistry: use of formaldehyde solutions at variable pH for the localization of tyrosine hydroxylase. J Histochem Cytochem 29:844–850

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Billups B, Forsythe ID (2002) Presynaptic mitochondrial calcium sequestration influences transmission at mammalian central synapses. J Neurosci 22:5840–5847

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biró AA, Holderith NB, Nusser Z (2006) Release probability-dependent scaling of the postsynaptic responses at single hippocampal GABAergic synapses. J Neurosci 26:12487–12496

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bodor AL, Katona I, Nyíri G, Mackie K, Ledent C, Hájos N, Freund TF (2005) Endocannabinoid signaling in rat somatosensory cortex: laminar differences and involvement of specific interneuron types. J Neurosci 25:6845–6856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bodor AL, Giber K, Rovó Z, Ulbert I, Acsády L (2008) Structural correlates of efficient GABAergic transmission in the basal ganglia-thalamus pathway. J Neurosci 28:3090–3102

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Branco T, Marra V, Staras K (2010) Examining size–strength relationships at hippocampal synapses using an ultrastructural measurement of synaptic release probability. J Struct Biol 172:203–210

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bucurenciu I, Kulik A, Schwaller B, Frotscher M, Jonas P (2008) Nanodomain coupling between Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ sensors promotes fast and efficient transmitter release at a cortical GABAergic synapse. Neuron 57:536–545

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay V (1972) The tripartite structure of the undercoat in initial segments of Purkinje cell axons. Z Anat Entwicklungsgesch 139:1–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cobb SR, Buhl EH, Halasy K, Paulsen O, Somogyi P (1995) Synchronization of neuronal activity in hippocampus by individual GABAergic interneurons. Nature 378:75–78

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Daw MI, Tricoire L, Erdelyi F, Szabo G, McBain CJ (2009) Asynchronous transmitter release from cholecystokinin-containing inhibitory interneurons is widespread and target-cell independent. J Neurosci 29:11112–11122

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobó E, Takács VT, Gulyás AI, Nyiri G, Mihály A, Freund TF (2011) New silver-gold intensification method of diaminobenzidine for double-labeling immunoelectron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem 59:258–269

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eggermann E, Bucurenciu I, Goswami SP, Jonas P (2012) Nanodomain coupling between Ca2+ channels and sensors of exocytosis at fast mammalian synapses. Nat Rev Neurosci 13:7–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellender TJ, Nissen W, Colgin LL, Mann EO, Paulsen O (2010) Priming of hippocampal population bursts by individual perisomatic-targeting interneurons. J Neurosci 30:5979–5991

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraguti F, Klausberger T, Cobden P, Baude A, Roberts JD, Szucs P, Kinoshita A, Shigemoto R, Somogyi P, Dalezios Y (2005) Metabotropic glutamate receptor 8-expressing nerve terminals target subsets of GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus. J Neurosci 25:10520–10536

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fiala JC (2005) Reconstruct: a free editor for serial section microscopy. J Microsci 218:52–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Földy C, Lee SY, Szabadics J, Neu A, Soltesz I (2007) Cell type-specific gating of perisomatic inhibition by cholecystokinin. Nat Neurosci 10:1128–1130

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Földy C, Lee SH, Morgan RJ, Soltesz I (2010) Regulation of fast-spiking basket cell synapses by the chloride channel ClC-2. Nat Neurosci 13:1047–1049

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freund TF, Katona I (2007) Perisomatic inhibition. Neuron 56:33–42

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fuentealba P, Begum R, Capogna M, Jinno S, Márton LF, Csicsvari J, Thomson A, Somogyi P, Klausberger T (2008) Ivy cells: a population of nitric-oxide-producing, slow-spiking GABAergic neurons and their involvement in hippocampal network activity. Neuron 57:917–929

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geinisman Y, deToledo-Morrell L, Morrell F, Heller RE, Rossi M, Parshall RF (1993) Structural synaptic correlate of long-term potentiation: formation of axospinous synapses with multiple, completely partitioned transmission zones. Hippocampus 3:435–445

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glickfeld LL, Scanziani M (2006) Distinct timing in the activity of cannabinoid-sensitive and cannabinoid-insensitive basket cells. Nat Neurosci 9:807–815

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glickfeld LL, Roberts JD, Somogyi P, Scanziani M (2009) Interneurons hyperpolarize pyramidal cells along their entire somatodendritic axis. Nat Neurosci 12:21–23

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gonchar Y, Turney S, Price JL, Burkhalter A (2002) Axo-axonic synapses formed by somatostatin-expressing GABAergic neurons in rat and monkey visual cortex. J Comp Neurol 443:1–14

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gulyás AI, Buzsáki G, Freund TF, Hirase H (2006) Populations of hippocampal inhibitory neurons express different levels of cytochrome c. Eur J Neurosci 23:2581–2594

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gulyás AI, Szabó GG, Ulbert I, Holderith N, Monyer H, Erdélyi F, Szabó G, Freund TF, Hájos N (2010) Parvalbumin-containing fast-spiking basket cells generate the field potential oscillations induced by cholinergic receptor activation in the hippocampus. J Neurosci 30:15134–15145

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hájos N, Karlócai MR, Németh B, Ulbert I, Monyer H, Szabó G, Erdélyi F, Freund TF, Gulyás AI (2013) Input–output features of anatomically identified CA3 neurons during hippocampal sharp wave/ripple oscillation in vitro. J Neurosci 33:11677–11691

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Halasy K, Buhl EH, Lörinczi Z, Tamás G, Somogyi P (1996) Synaptic target selectivity and input of GABAergic basket and bistratified interneurons in the CA1 area of the rat hippocampus. Hippocampus 6:306–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hefft S, Jonas P (2005) Asynchronous GABA release generates long-lasting inhibition at a hippocampal interneuron–principal neuron synapse. Nat Neurosci 8:1319–1328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holderith N, Lorincz A, Katona G, Rózsa B, Kulik A, Watanabe M, Nusser Z (2012) Release probability of hippocampal glutamatergic terminals scales with the size of the active zone. Nat Neurosci 15:988–997

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iwasaki S, Takahashi T (1998) Developmental changes in calcium channel types mediating synaptic transmission in rat auditory brainstem. J Physiol 509(Pt 2):419–423

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jahn R, Fasshauer D (2012) Molecular machines governing exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Nature 490:201–207

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kasugai Y, Swinny JD, Roberts JD, Dalezios Y, Fukazawa Y, Sieghart W, Shigemoto R, Somogyi P (2010) Quantitative localisation of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptor subunits on hippocampal pyramidal cells by freeze-fracture replica immunolabelling. Eur J Neurosci 32:1868–1888

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katona I, Sperlágh B, Sík A, Käfalvi A, Vizi ES, Mackie K, Freund TF (1999) Presynaptically located CB1 cannabinoid receptors regulate GABA release from axon terminals of specific hippocampal interneurons. J Neurosci 19:4544–4558

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katsumaru H, Kosaka T, Heizmann CW, Hama K (1988) Immunocytochemical study of GABAergic neurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin in the rat hippocampus. Exp Brain Res 72:347–362

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klausberger T, Somogyi P (2008) Neuronal diversity and temporal dynamics: the unity of hippocampal circuit operations. Science 321:53–57

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klausberger T, Magill PJ, Márton LF, Roberts JD, Cobden PM, Buzsáki G, Somogyi P (2003) Brain-state- and cell-type-specific firing of hippocampal interneurons in vivo. Nature 421:844–848

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klausberger T, Marton LF, O’Neill J, Huck JH, Dalezios Y, Fuentealba P, Suen WY, Papp E, Kaneko T, Watanabe M, Csicsvari J, Somogyi P (2005) Complementary roles of cholecystokinin- and parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic neurons in hippocampal network oscillations. J Neurosci 25:9782–9793

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kosaka T, Kosaka K, Tateishi K, Hamaoka Y, Yanaihara N, Wu JY, Hama K (1985) GABAergic neurons containing CCK-8-like and/or VIP-like immunoreactivities in the rat hippocampus and dentate gyrus. J Comp Neurol 239:420–430

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kubota Y, Kawaguchi Y (2000) Dependence of GABAergic synaptic areas on the interneuron type and target size. J Neurosci 20:375–386

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lapray D, Lasztoczi B, Lagler M, Viney TJ, Katona L, Valenti O, Hartwich K, Borhegyi Z, Somogyi P, Klausberger T (2012) Behavior-dependent specialization of identified hippocampal interneurons. Nat Neurosci 15:1265–1271

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lasztóczi B, Tukker JJ, Somogyi P, Klausberger T (2011) Terminal field and firing selectivity of cholecystokinin-expressing interneurons in the hippocampal CA3 area. J Neurosci 31:18073–18093

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee SY, Soltesz I (2011) Cholecystokinin: a multi-functional molecular switch of neuronal circuits. Dev Neurobiol 71:83–91

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman AR, Spacek J (1997) Filamentous contacts: the ultrastructure and three-dimensional organization of specialized non-synaptic interneuronal appositions in thalamic relay nuclei. Cell Tissue Res 288:43–57

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maccaferri G, Roberts JD, Szucs P, Cottingham CA, Somogyi P (2000) Cell surface domain specific postsynaptic currents evoked by identified GABAergic neurones in rat hippocampus in vitro. J Physiol 524(Pt 1):91–116

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meinrenken CJ, Borst JG, Sakmann B (2003) Local routes revisited: the space and time dependence of the Ca2+ signal for phasic transmitter release at the rat calyx of Held. J Physiol 547:665–689

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miles R, Tóth K, Gulyás AI, Hájos N, Freund TF (1996) Differences between somatic and dendritic inhibition in the hippocampus. Neuron 16:815–823

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mithani S, Atmadja S, Baimbridge KG, Fibiger HC (1987) Neuroleptic-induced oral dyskinesias: effects of progabide and lack of correlation with regional changes in glutamic acid decarboxylase and choline acetyltransferase activities. Psychopharmacology 93:94–100

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nunzi MG, Gorio A, Milan F, Freund TF, Somogyi P, Smith AD (1985) Cholecystokinin-immunoreactive cells form symmetrical synaptic contacts with pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. J Comp Neurol 237:485–505

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nusser Z, Cull-Candy S, Farrant M (1997) Differences in synaptic GABA(A) receptor number underlie variation in GABA mini amplitude. Neuron 19:697–709

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nyíri G, Cserép C, Szabadits E, Mackie K, Freund TF (2005) CB1 cannabinoid receptors are enriched in the perisynaptic annulus and on preterminal segments of hippocampal GABAergic axons. Neuroscience 136:811–822

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palay SL, Sotelo C, Peters A, Orkand PM (1968) The axon hillock and the initial segment. J Cell Biol 38:193–201

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pang ZP, Südhof TC (2010) Cell biology of Ca2+ -triggered exocytosis. Curr Opin Cell Biol 22:496–505

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pawelzik H, Hughes DI, Thomson AM (2002) Physiological and morphological diversity of immunocytochemically defined parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-positive interneurones in CA1 of the adult rat hippocampus. J Comp Neurol 443:346–367

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce JP, Lewin GR (1994) An ultrastructural size principle. Neuroscience 58:441–446

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rollenhagen A, Lübke JH (2006) The morphology of excitatory central synapses: from structure to function. Cell Tissue Res 326:221–237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rollenhagen A, Sätzler K, Rodríguez EP, Jonas P, Frotscher M, Lübke JH (2007) Structural determinants of transmission at large hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. J Neurosci 27(39):10434–10444

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowland KC, Irby NK, Spirou GA (2000) Specialized synapse-associated structures within the calyx of Held. J Neurosci 20(24):9135–9144

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seal RP, Akil O, Yi E, Weber CM, Grant L, Yoo J, Clause A, Kandler K, Noebels JL, Glowatzki E, Lustig LR, Edwards RH (2008) Sensorineural deafness and seizures in mice lacking vesicular glutamate transporter 3. Neuron 57(2):263–275

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slomianka L, Amrein I, Knuesel I, Sørensen JC, Wolfer DP (2011) Hippocampal pyramidal cells: the reemergence of cortical lamination. Brain Struct Funct 216(4):301–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Sloviter RS (1989) Calcium-binding protein (calbindin-D28k) and parvalbumin immunocytochemistry: localization in the rat hippocampus with specific reference to the selective vulnerability of hippocampal neurons to seizure activity. J Comp Neurol 280:183–196

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Somogyi P (1977) A specific ‘axo-axonal’ interneuron in the visual cortex of the rat. Brain Res 136:345–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Somogyi J, Baude A, Omori Y, Shimizu H, El Mestikawy S, Fukaya M, Shigemoto R, Watanabe M, Somogyi P (2004) GABAergic basket cells expressing cholecystokinin contain vesicular glutamate transporter type 3 (VGLUT3) in their synaptic terminals in hippocampus and isocortex of the rat. Eur J Neurosci 19:552–569

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szabadics J, Varga C, Molnár G, Oláh S, Barzó P, Tamás G (2006) Excitatory effect of GABAergic axo-axonic cells in cortical microcircuits. Science 311:233–235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szabó GG, Holderith N, Gulyás AI, Freund TF, Hájos N (2010) Distinct synaptic properties of perisomatic inhibitory cell types and their different modulation by cholinergic receptor activation in the CA3 region of the mouse hippocampus. Eur J Neurosci 31:2234–2246

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takács VT, Freund TF, Nyiri G (2013) Neuroligin 2 is expressed in synapses established by cholinergic cells in the mouse brain. PLoS ONE 8:e72450

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taschenberger H, Leão RM, Rowland KC, Spirou GA, von Gersdorff H (2002) Optimizing synaptic architecture and efficiency for high-frequency transmission. Neuron 36:1127–1143

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Telgkamp P, Padgett DE, Ledoux VA, Woolley CS, Raman IM (2004) Maintenance of high-frequency transmission at purkinje to cerebellar nuclear synapses by spillover from boutons with multiple release sites. Neuron 41:113–126

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tukker JJ, Fuentealba P, Hartwich K, Somogyi P, Klausberger T (2007) Cell type-specific tuning of hippocampal interneuron firing during gamma oscillations in vivo. J Neurosci 27:8184–8189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tukker JJ, Lasztóczi B, Katona L, Roberts JD, Pissadaki EK, Dalezios Y, Márton L, Zhang L, Klausberger T, Somogyi P (2013) Distinct dendritic arborization and in vivo firing patterns of parvalbumin-expressing basket cells in the hippocampal area CA3. J Neurosci 33:6809–6825

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uchigashima M, Narushima M, Fukaya M, Katona I, Kano M, Watanabe M (2007) Subcellular arrangement of molecules for 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol-mediated retrograde signaling and its physiological contribution to synaptic modulation in the striatum. J Neurosci 27(14):3663–3676

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RI, Nicoll RA (2001) Endogenous cannabinoids mediate retrograde signalling at hippocampal synapses. Nature 410:588–592

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RI, Kunos G, Nicoll RA (2001) Presynaptic specificity of endocannabinoid signaling in the hippocampus. Neuron 31:453–462

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu LG, Westenbroek RE, Borst JG, Catterall WA, Sakmann B (1999) Calcium channel types with distinct presynaptic localization couple differentially to transmitter release in single calyx-type synapses. J Neurosci 19:726–736

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wyeth MS, Zhang N, Mody I, Houser CR (2010) Selective reduction of cholecystokinin-positive basket cell innervation in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. J Neurosci 30:8993–9006

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida T, Uchigashima M, Yamasaki M, Katona I, Yamazaki M, Sakimura K, Kano M, Yoshioka M, Watanabe M (2011) Unique inhibitory synapse with particularly rich endocannabinoid signaling machinery on pyramidal neurons in basal amygdaloid nucleus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:3059–3064

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Kenneth G. Baimbridge for the rabbit anti-PV antibody and Dr. Ken Mackie (supported by National Institutes of Health Grant DA11322) and Dr. Masahiko Watanabe for the anti-CB1 antibodies. The excellent technical assistance of Katalin Lengyel, Emőke Szépné Simon, Katalin Iványi and Győző Goda is also gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Grant Number NS030549), National Office for Research and Technology—Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (NKTH-OTKA, Grant Number CNK77793, K83251) and European Research Council (Grant Number ERC-2011-ADG-294313, SERRACO). G.N. was supported by a János Bolyai Research Scholarship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gábor Nyiri.

Additional information

G. Nyiri and A. I. Gulyás contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Takács, V.T., Szőnyi, A., Freund, T.F. et al. Quantitative ultrastructural analysis of basket and axo-axonic cell terminals in the mouse hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct 220, 919–940 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-013-0692-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-013-0692-6

Keywords

Navigation