Ultrastructural Detection of Neuronal Markers, Receptors, and Vesicular Transporters

At the ultrastructural level, axon terminals containing synaptic vesicles are clearly observed. These axon terminals (presynaptic component of a synapse) may be seen establishing contacts (synapses) with cell bodies, axons, or dendrites (postsynaptic component of a synapse). By a combination of ultrastructural analysis and immunodetection of molecules, it is possible to determine the subcellular distribution of specific cellular markers (i.e., enzymes), neurotransmitters (within synaptic vesicles), vesicular transporters (in association with vesicles), and receptors (within the presynaptic or postsynaptic component of a synapse). Here we will provide detailed protocols that facilitate the ultrastructural detection of cellular markers, receptors, and vesicular transporters. These protocols include brain ultrastructural immunodetection of one, two, or three different types of molecules prior to brain tissue processing for ultrastructural analysis (pre-embedding immunolabeling), brain molecular immunodetection after tissue processing for ultrastructural analysis (post-embedding immunolabeling), or molecular immunodetection in purified synaptic vesicles. Published 2019. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.