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High- and medium-molecular-weight neurofilament proteins define specific neuron types in the guinea-pig enteric nervous system
journal contribution
posted on 2009-03-01, 00:00 authored by Leni RiveraLeni Rivera, M Thacker, J B FurnessPrevious studies have demonstrated that neurofilament proteins are expressed by type II neurons in the enteric plexuses of a range of species from mouse to human. However, two previous studies have failed to reveal this association in the guinea-pig. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry for neurofilaments has revealed neurons with a single axon and spiny dendrites in human and pig but this morphology has not been described in the guinea-pig or other species. We have used antibodies against high- and medium-weight neurofilament proteins (NF-H and NF-M) to re-examine enteric neurons in the guinea-pig. NF-H immunoreactivity occurred in all type II neurons (identified by their IB4 binding) but these neurons were never NF-M-immunoreactive. On the other hand, 17% of myenteric neurons expressed NF-M. Many of these were uni-axonal neurons with spiny dendrites and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity. NOS immunoreactivity occurred in surface expansions of the cytoplasm that did not contain neurofilament immunoreactivity. Thus, because of their NOS immunoreactivity, spiny neurons had the appearance of type I neurons. This indicates that the apparent morphologies and the morphological classifications of these neurons are dependent on the methods used to reveal them. We conclude that spiny type I NOS-immunoreactive neurons have similar morphologies in human and guinea-pig and that many of these are inhibitory motor neurons. Both type II and neuropeptide-Y-immunoreactive neurons in the submucosal ganglia exhibit NF-H immunoreactivity. NF-M has been observed in nerve fibres, but not in nerve cell bodies, in the submucosa.
History
Journal
Cell and tissue researchVolume
335Issue
3Pagination
529 - 538Publisher
SpringerLocation
Heidelberg, GermanyPublisher DOI
ISSN
0302-766XeISSN
1432-0878Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2008, SpringerUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
enteric nervous systemneurofilament proteinscytoskeletonnitric oxide synthasesmall intestineguinea-pigAnimalsFemaleGuinea PigsImmunohistochemistryIntestine, SmallMaleNeuronsNeuropeptide YNitric Oxide Synthase Type IScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineCell BiologyNITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASEPRIMARY AFFERENT NEURONSIMMUNOREACTIVE MYENTERIC NEURONSSMALL-INTESTINESUBMUCOUS NEURONSSENSORY NEURONSMOTOR-NEURONSPROJECTIONSPLEXUSMORPHOLOGY
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