Retrograde labelling of serotonergic projections onto the neuroendocrine bag cells of Aplysia

Abstract

Injection of rhodamine-conjugated latex microspheres into the right bag cell cluster of Aplysia brasiliana yielded retrograde labelling of a small number of cells in the cerebral and abdominal ganglia. Subsequent staining for serotonin immunoreactivity demonstrated consistent double-labelling in specific cerebral and abdominal ganglion serotonergic cells. The double-labelled populations were also stained in vivo by prior treatment with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. These retrogradely labelled serotonergic neurons may represent sources of inhibitory input to the neuroendocrine bag cells.