Epithelial Na+ channels and stomatin are expressed in rat trigeminal mechanosensory neurons

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 anal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell and tissue research 2000-03, Vol.299 (3), p.327-334
Main Authors: Fricke, B, Lints, R, Stewart, G, Drummond, H, Dodt, G, Driscoll, M, von Düring, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
Blood Proteins - analysis
Blood Proteins - genetics
Blood Proteins - immunology
Epithelial Cells - chemistry
Epithelial Sodium Channels
Gene Expression - physiology
Immunohistochemistry
Mechanoreceptors - chemistry
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - chemistry
Neurons, Afferent - chemistry
Neurons, Afferent - ultrastructure
Rats
Rats, Wistar
RNA, Messenger - analysis
Signal Transduction - physiology
Sodium Channels - analysis
Sodium Channels - genetics
Sodium Channels - immunology
Space life sciences
Trigeminal Nerve - cytology
Vibrissae - innervation
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Summary: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 alpha-, beta-, and gamma-ENaC and stomatin mRNA are expressed in rat trigeminal ganglia. Using immunocytochemistry, we found that alpha-, beta-, and gamma-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 alpha-, beta-, and gamma-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.
ISSN:0302-766X
1432-0878
DOI:10.1007/s004410050031