Epithelial Na+ channels and stomatin are expressed in rat trigeminal mechanosensory neurons (original) (raw)

Abstract.

Caenorhabditis elegans MEC-4 and MEC-10 are subunits of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel (DEG/ENaC) ion channel superfamily thought to be associated with MEC-2 (a stomatin-like protein) in a mechanotransducing molecular complex in specialized touch sensory neurons. A key question is whether analogous molecular complexes in higher organisms transduce mechanical signals. To address this question, we selected mechanoreceptors of the rat vibrissal follicle-sinus complex in the mystacial pad and the trigeminal ganglia for an immunocytochemical and molecular biological study. RT-PCR of poly(A+) mRNA of rat trigeminal ganglia indicated that α-, β-, and γ-ENaC and stomatin mRNA are expressed in rat trigeminal ganglia. Using immunocytochemistry, we found that α-, β-, and γ-ENaC subunits and stomatin are localized in the perikarya of the trigeminal neurons and in a minor fraction of their termination site in the vibrissal follicle-sinus complex, where longitudinal lanceolate endings are immunopositive. We conclude that α-, β-, and γ-ENaC subunits as well as the candidate interacting protein stomatin are coexpressed in a mammalian mechanoreceptor, a location consistent with a possible role in mechanotransduction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy MA6/152, Ruhr University, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany, , , , ,
    B. Fricke & M. von Düring
  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA, , , , ,
    R. Lints & M. Driscoll
  3. Department of Medicine, University College London School of Medicine, Rayne Institute, 5 University Street, London, UK, , , , ,
    G. Stewart
  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA, , , , ,
    H. Drummond
  5. Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ruhr University, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany, , , , ,
    G. Dodt

Authors

  1. B. Fricke
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  2. R. Lints
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  3. G. Stewart
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  4. H. Drummond
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  5. G. Dodt
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  6. M. Driscoll
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  7. M. von Düring
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Fricke, B., Lints, R., Stewart, G. et al. Epithelial Na+ channels and stomatin are expressed in rat trigeminal mechanosensory neurons.Cell Tissue Res 299, 327–334 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004419900153

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