Distribution of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors on a vertebrate muscle: evaluated by using a scanning electron microscope autoradiographic procedure.

Abstract

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) autoradiographic technique was calibrated and used to determine the site density of acetylcholine receptors withn 250 .mu.m of the neuromuscular junction in innervated as well as 3- and 10-d denervated sternomastoid muscle of the mouse. In all these groups sharp gradients of receptor site density are seen around the endplates in the first 2-7 .mu.m, continuing less sharply to between 25 and 50 .mu.m. Beyond 50 .mu.m (to 250 .mu.m) a spatial density gradient is present 3 d after denervation, but none exist by 10 d. These results suggest that the postdenervation steady-state extrajunctional receptor site density is reached sooner near the junction than away from the junction. The usefulness of SEM autoradiography to study the expression and distribution of membrane molecules at high resolution is demonstrated.