Molecules and Cells

Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (한국분자세포생물학회)
권호 표지

Region- and Neuronal Phenotype-specific Expression of NELL2 in the Adult Rat Brain

  • Jeong, Jin Kwon (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Kim, Han Rae (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Hwang, Seong Mun (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Park, Jeong Woo (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Lee, Byung Ju (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan)
  • Received : 2008.02.11
  • Accepted : 2008.04.02
  • Published : 2008.08.31
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Abstract

NELL2, a neural tissue-enriched protein, is produced in the embryo, and postembryonically in the mammalian brain, with a broad distribution. Although its synthesis is required for neuronal differentiation in chicks, not much is known about its function in the adult mammalian brain. We investigated the distribution of NELL2 in various regions of the adult rat brain to study its potential functions in brain physiology. Consistent with previous reports, NELL2-immunoreactivity (ir) was found in the cytoplasm of neurons, but not in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive glial cells. The highest levels of NELL2 were detected in the hippocampus and the cerebellum. Interestingly, in the cerebellar cortex NELL2 was observed only in the GABAergic Purkinje cells not in the excitatory granular cells. In contrast, it was found mainly in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and pyramidal cell layer that contains mainly glutamatergic neurons. In the dentate gyrus, NELL2 was not detected in the GFAP-positive neural precursor cells, but was generally present in mature neurons of the subgranular zone, suggesting a role in this region restricted to mature neurons.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : KRF

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