Cytochemical localization of acetylcholinesterase in the rat striatum.

An attempt was made to determine the subcellular localization of AChE in rat striatum with several Cu-thiocholine procedures using slices of intact tissue and in isolated organelles obtained by gradient centrifugation. Regardless the method used the reaction product, indicating the localization of AChE activity shows the usual intracellular and extracellular distribution. Although AChE activity was present at the extrajunctional axolemma of the nerve endings almost no enzyme activity was observed in the junctional region either in tissue sections or on isolated synaptosomes.