Report on the Discussion of the Second Session: Detection of Specific Molecules, and the Second Plenary Lecture: Molecular Neuroanatomy of Synapses, Cells and Systems in the Brain

Abstract

This centred on questions of relative sensitivity and specificity of the various approaches described, with particular reference to problems of establishing co-localization of transmitters which like the monoamines may be subject to uptake after release. Dr Bosler reported that in his experience the use of Fab fragments rather than the whole antibody slightly reduced the sensitivity of immunocytochemical detection, as compared with the conventional PAP method, but that other workers claimed to achieve a greater sensitivity by their use. The applications and relative value of uptake radioautography and immunocytochemistry for the monoamines were considered. It was emphasized that labelling by uptake of radiolabelled transmitter, or uptake radioautography, gave a clearly defined localization in nerve terminals as well as in cell bodies, and gave a clearer definition of nerve terminals than did radioimmunocytochemistry, making them easier to find, but that uptake radioautography could not discriminate between neurones which synthesized the specific transmitter and those which did not synthesize it but had an uptake system for it. The latter are possibly receptive for the transmitter in question.