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Neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in forebrain, pineal, and pituitary of Oreochromis mossambicus (Tilapia)

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 33, pages 297–309 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Ultrastructural localization of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and immunohistochemical detection of the enzyme in forebrain, pituitary, and pineal were undertaken in the teleost Oreochromis mossambicus. Application of post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy revealed nNOS-labeled gold particles on the cilia, microvilli, mitochondria, and Golgi complex of the ORNs. Gold particles were also seen adhered to microtubules in the axons that extend to the olfactory nerve layer in the olfactory bulb. With light microscopy, nNOS-immunoreactive neurons were seen in preoptic area, nucleus entopeduncularis, and parvocellular, and magnocellular subdivisions of nucleus preopticus (NPO). Numerous cerebrospinal fluid-contacting cells lining the wall of the third ventricle at the level of the NPO showed intense immunoreactivity. Intense to moderate immunoreactivity was observed in the neurons of suprachiasmatic nucleus, nucleus lateralis tuberis pars lateralis, and nucleus recessus lateralis. While several immunoreactive fibers were detected in medial olfactory tract, suprachiasmatic area, and hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract, a few were seen throughout the telencephalon, in the optic chiasma, tuberal area, and inferior lobes. In the pituitary, nNOS-containing fibers were seen in the neurohypophysis, rostral pars distalis, proximal pars distalis, and pars intermedia. While intense immunoreactivity was noticed in some cells in the pineal, immunoreactive fibers were detected in the pineal stalk as well as parenchyma. We suggest that nitric oxide may play a role in processing olfactory and photic information, circadian rhythms, and neuroendocrine regulation in tilapia.

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Abbreviations

A:

Anterior thalamic nucleus

AC:

Anterior commissure

bNOS:

Brain NOS

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

CB:

Cerebellum

D:

Area dorsalis telencephali

Da:

D pars anterior

Dc:

D pars centralis

Dca:

Anterior subdivision of Dc

Dcad:

Dorsal part of Dca

Dcav:

Ventral part of Dca

Dcd:

Dorsal subdivision of Dc

Dcl:

Lateral subdivision of Dc

Dcm:

Medial subdivision of Dc

Dcp:

Posterior subdivision of Dc

Dd:

D pars dorsalis

DiI:

Fluorescent indocarbocyanine

Dl:

D pars lateralis

Dla:

Anterior subdivision of Dl

Dld:

Dorsal subdivision of Dl

Dlp:

Posterior subdivision of Dl

Dlv:

Ventral subdivision of Dl

Dm:

D pars medialis

Dma:

Anterior subdivision of Dm

Dmd:

Dorsal subdivision of Dm

Dmdd:

Dorsal part of Dmd

Dmdv:

Ventral part of Dmd

Dmv:

Ventral subdivision of Dm

Dmvd:

Dorsal part of Dmv

Dmvv:

Ventral part of Dmv

Dp:

D pars posterioris

flm:

Fasciculus longitudinalis medialis

HC:

Horizontal commissure

HG:

Habenular ganglion

HHT:

Hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract

Hyp:

Hypothalamus

IL:

Inferior lobe

L:

Lumen

LFB:

Lateral forebrain bundle

LOT:

Lateral olfactory tract

MFB:

Medial forebrain bundle

MOT:

Medial olfactory tract

MT:

Midbrain tegmentum

NADPHd:

Nicotinamide adenine phosphate diaphorase

Nat:

Nucleus anterior tuberis

NE:

Nucleus entopeduncularis

Nflm:

Nucleus of the flm

Nhd:

Nucleus hypothalamicus dorsalis

NLT:

Nucleus lateralis tuberis

NLTl:

NLT pars lateralis

NLTm:

NLT pars medialis

nNOS:

Neuronal NOS

NO:

Nitric oxide

NOS:

NO synthase

NPO:

Nucleus preopticus

NPOm:

NPO pars magnocellularis

NPOp:

NPO pars parvocellularis

Npt:

Nucleus posterior tuberis

NRL:

Nucleus of RL

NRLl:

Lateral part of NRL

NRLm:

Medial part of NRL

NRLs:

Superior part of NRL

NRP:

Nucleus of RP

NS:

Nonsensory

Nte:

Nucleus of taeniae

OB:

Olfactory bulb

OC:

Optic chiasma

ON:

Optic nerve

ORN:

Olfactory receptor neuron

OTec:

Optic tectum

PB:

Phosphate buffer

PBS:

Phosphate buffered saline

PC:

Posterior commissure

PFA:

Paraformaldehyde

PG:

Pineal gland

PI:

Pars intermedia

Pit:

Pituitary

POA:

Preoptic area

POR:

Preoptic recess

PPD:

Proximal pars distalis part of Pit

PS:

Pineal stalk

PVO:

Paraventricular organ

RL:

Recessus lateralis

RP:

Recessus posterioris

RPD:

Rostral pars distalis

S:

Sensory

SCA:

Suprachiasmatic area

SCN:

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

SP:

Spinal cord

TA:

Tuberal area

Tel:

Telencephalon

Tlo:

Torus longitudinalis

TS:

Torus semicircularis

V:

Ventricle

Vd:

Area ventralis telencephali pars dorsalis

Vl:

Area ventralis telencephali pars lateralis

Vm:

Ventromedial thalamic nucleus

Vn:

Nucleus of area ventralis telencephali

Vp:

Area ventralis telencephali pars posterioris

Vs:

Area ventralis telencephali pars supracommissuralis

Vv:

Area ventralis telencephali pars ventralis

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research [F. no. 4(26)/97 ASR-IV and 4(60)/98 ASR-I] and the Department of Science and Technology (SP/SO/C-39/99), New Delhi, India. The electron microscopy work was conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

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Author notes

  1. Praful S. Singru

    Present address: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02111, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University Campus, Nagpur, 440033, India

    Praful S. Singru,  Amul J. Sakharkar,  Minakshi Mazumdar &  Nishikant Subhedar

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  1. Praful S. Singru
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  2. Amul J. Sakharkar
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  3. Minakshi Mazumdar
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Correspondence to Nishikant Subhedar.

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Praful S. Singru, Amul J. Sakharkar, Minakshi Mazumdar et al. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in forebrain, pineal, and pituitary of Oreochromis mossambicus (Tilapia). Fish Physiol Biochem 33, 297–309 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-007-9169-y

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Keywords

  • Hypothalamus
  • Nitric oxide
  • Olfactory receptor neurons
  • Pineal
  • Pituitary
  • Post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy
  • Preoptic area
  • Suprachiasmatic nucleus
  • Teleost
  • Tilapia

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