@entity842 (NO) is synthesized in cells of both the central and peripheral nervous system and has been implicated in several forms of synaptic plasticity. The enzyme that produces NO, @entity842 synthase ( @entity3623 ), can be visualized in the brain by the reduced @entity1110 diaphorase histochemistry technique ( @entity1110 -d). We have used @entity1110 -d activity to detect the presence of @entity3623 -positive cells in the developing @entity35 superior colliculus. Our results showed that @entity3623 is present in cells and neuropil in the developing and adult @entity35 superior colliculus. The first @entity3623 -positive cells appeared at postnatal day 7 and were weakly stained. The number and intensity of the @entity3623 -positive cells increased progressively during the following days reaching a maximum at postnatal day 15. By the end of the third postnatal week, both the number and intensity of stained cells showed an adult-like pattern. The @entity3623 -positive cells showed a Golgi-like morphology and we have found that all cell types present in the superior colliculus express the enzyme. The expression of @entity3623 by tectal cells parallels the functional development of the retino-collicular and cortico-tectal projections and suggest that @entity842 synthase-positive cells might be involved in this process. In this review we highlighted some of the recent descriptions of the expression of @entity3623 in the @entity1 visual system with emphasis in the superior colliculus and correlate these findings with several developmental events taking place in this structure.

Patterns of XXXX synthase expression in the developing superior colliculus.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['mammalian'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rat'] @entity1110 :: ('MESH:D009249', 'Chemical') :: ['nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate', 'NADPH'] @entity842 :: ('MESH:D009569', 'Chemical') :: ['Nitric oxide', 'nitric oxide'] @entity3623 :: ('4843', 'Gene') :: ['NOS']
@entity842 :: (MESH:D009569,Chemical) :: ['nitric oxide']
