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Vol. 41 No. 3, 2002
Localization of NADPH-Diaphorase and Nitric Oxide Synthase
Activity in the Eyestalk of the Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii
Hong-Shin
Zou, Yi-Zhen Chang, Shyh-Chi Chen, Shiou-Mei Yau, Ya-Lun Shen and
Chi-Ying Lee*
Department
of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan
500
Hong-Shin
Zou, Yi-Zhen Chang, Shyh-Chi Chen, Shiou-Mei Yau, Ya-Lun Shen, and
Chi-Ying Lee (2002) The distribution of nitric oxide synthase
(NOS) in the eyestalk tissues of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was studied
using NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and an NOS biochemical
assay. In the retina, NADPH-d activity was detected in the rhabdom of
the ommatidium and axons of retinular cells that terminate in the
lamina ganglionaris. In the eyestalk ganglia, NADPH-d was localized to
the fibers in the 1st chiasma that connect the lamina ganglionaris and
medulla externa, and 2 prominent fiber tracts that appear to originate
from the medulla terminalis, project distally, and terminate in the
synaptic layers of the medulla interna. In addition, NADPH-d-positive
somata were found in the periphery of the medulla externa. Specific
staining of NADPH-d activity was eliminated by DPIP, an inhibitor of
NOS-associated NADPH-d. The distribution pattern of NADPH-d activity
described above is much broader than that of NOS-immunoreactivity
reported in a previous study (Lee et al. 2000). Biochemical analysis
revealed that the regions (the medulla interna and medulla terminalis)
where only NADPH-d activity (but not NOS-immunoreactivity) was detected
also contained significant levels of NOS activity, suggesting that the
observed NADPH-d activity is associated with NOS. The combined results
indicate that, in contrast to a highly restricted pattern suggested by
immunohistochemical data, NOS is widely distributed in the crayfish
eyestalk and implicates NO in the processing of visual information.
Key words: Nitric
oxide, Eyestalk ganglia, Retina, Crustaceans.
*Correspondence: Tel: 886-4-7247756. Fax: 886-4-7211156.
E-mail: bicylee@cc.ncue.edu.tw
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