The basic amino acid transporter (rBAT)-like immunoreactivity in paraventricular and supraoptic magnocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamus.

In the rat hypothalamus, the basic amino acid transporter (rBAT)-like immunoreactivity was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using an antibody against the 15-amino acid sequence of the deduced rat rBAT protein. In the supraoptic and the paraventricular nuclei, magnocellular neurons exhibited the marked rBAT-like immunoreactivity in intracellular structures but not in the plasma membrane. The results suggest that the rBAT serves as an intracellular amino acid transport system in magnocellular neurons.