Astrocytosis in wobbler mouse spinal cord involves a population of astrocytes which is glutamine synthetase-negative.
Mice affected by the wobbler mutation are characterized by a muscular atrophy associated with motoneuron degeneration. As soon as the first clinical signs of the disease appear, reactive astrocytes, strongly glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive, are observed in the spinal cord grey matter. They become prevalent at all levels with disease progression. Immunostaining of glutamine synthetase (GS) shows that these reactive astrocytes are never GS-positive. The activity and protein amounts of GS remain normal in wobbler spinal cord although astrocytosis develops. Thus, gliosis in the wobbler mouse seems to involve a subpopulation of astrocytes, which is strongly GFAP-positive but GS-negative.
Blondet
B
B
INSERM U.153, Paris, France.
Hantaz-Ambroise
D
D
Aït-Ikhlef
A
A
Cambier
D
D
Murawsky
M
M
Rieger
F
F
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase