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Fig. 2. Distribution of GABA-positive fibers on the various components of the
salivary gland complex. Whole-mount preparations of salivary glands were
stained with anti-GABA (green) and AlexaFluor488-phalloidin (blue), and imaged
by confocal microscopy. (A) A simplified schematic illustration of the
organization of the salivary gland complex. The paired salivary glands consist
of lobules of acinar tissue. The salivary ducts unite to an efferent salivary
duct (1) from each gland, and the two efferent salivary ducts unite to a
single main salivary duct (2). The paired reservoirs open into reservoir ducts
(3) that unite to the main reservoir duct (4). Red rectangles in A outline the
areas shown in B–E. (B) The salivary duct nerve (SDN) contains two thick
axons, one of them labeled by anti-GABA. (C) Anti-GABA-immunoreactive fibers
(arrowheads) in the reservoir muscle. (D) A nerve that interlinks an acinar
lobule (lower right) with the reservoir (asterisks). Anti-GABA-positive fibers
(arrowheads) branch and have numerous varicosities within the nerve. (E) An
acinar lobule and the associated salivary duct (arrow). P-cells are arranged
in pairs with their microvilli intensely stained with phalloidin (blue),
providing the appearance of `bow ties'. A loose network of anti-GABA-reactive
fibers is associated with the acinar tissue but not the salivary duct (arrow).
(F–H,J–L) Two series of confocal sections through acinar lobules.
Each image shows the sum of 17 consecutive optical sections, representing a
total thickness of 6.2 µm. The labelling in the upper right indicates the
plane of the optical section. (I,M) The sum of all images. P-cells are
indicated by asterisks. C-cells in the interior of the acinar lobules are
identified by short phalloidin-stained microvilli (open arrowheads). In the
lobule shown in (F–I), GABA-positive fibers remain and terminate
(arrowhead in G) on the surface of the lobule. In (J–M), GABA-positive
fibers extend deep into the acinar lobules (arrows). All bars, 50 µm; bar
in M is for F–M.
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