Codistribution of choleratoxin binding sites and tyrosine hydroxylase/FGF-2 immunoreactive nigral nerve cells.

By means of light and confocal laser microscopical analysis of choleratoxin (CT) binding sites indicating the localization of the ganglioside GM1, evidence has been obtained for the presence of ganglioside GM1 in discrete nerve terminals, some of them identified by synapsin-1 immunoreactivity (IR), with a focal distribution in the nerve terminal membrane. Double immunolabelling studies demonstrate that GM1 positive nerve terminals are associated with tyrosine hydroxylase/fibroblast growth factor-2 (TH/FGF-2) immunoreactive dopamine (DA) perikarya in the zona compacta of the rat substantia nigra. It is suggested that GM1 may be released from these terminals to become incorporated into the nerve cell membrane of the FGF-2-containing DA nigral nerve cells, where they may enhance the activity of neurotrophic factor receptors such as those for FGF-2.