title: Absence of brain spectrin(240/235) in dendrites of mammalian brain.
abstract: Spectrin is a major cytoskeletal component of the brain. At least 3 distinct spectrin subtypes are found in mammalian brain: brain spectrin(240/235) which is confined mainly to axons, brain spectrin(240/235E) which is localized largely in neural cell bodies and dendrites, and brain spectrin(240/235A) which is associated only with astrocytes. Recently, Ivy et al. reported that brain spectrin (240/235) was located in dendrites when tissues were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. To evaluate this matter further, rat cerebellar cortex prepared with and without aldehydes was stained with antibodies to brain spectrin(240/235) and examined using peroxidase (4-chloro-1-naphthol or avidin-biotin) or rhodamine to visualize the primary antibody. The preparations (10 microns and 40 microns sections) showed that brain spectrin(240/235) resided largely in axons with occasional staining of neuronal soma (Purkinje cells), but was not observed in dendrites. These results confirm earlier reports [e.g., (10,12)] showing the discrete compartmentalization of brain spectrin(240/235) in axons and cell bodies.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, M.S. Hershey Medical Center 17033.
authors: I S
authors: IS
authors: Zagon
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Goodman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013049:Spectrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013049:Spectrin