Phorbol ester-stimulated stellation in primary cultures of astrocytes from different brain regions.
Stellation is the process by which astrocytes change from epithelial-like to process-bearing cells. Stellation occurs following activation of either cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase or protein kinase C. This process occurs through tubulin-dependent rearrangement of the cytoskeleton. We have evaluated the ability of phorbol, 12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA) to induce astrocyte stellation. Astrocytes from five brain regions (cerebellum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, diencephalon, and brain-stem) were examined to determine if all astrocytes would exhibit similar responses to this activator of protein kinase C. Stellation was evaluated following cell fixation by either phase optics using conventional light microscopy, or scanning laser confocal light microscopy of cultures prepared using immunocytochemistry for tubulin and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Both the number of cells responding to PMA and the sensitivity to PMA varied for astrocytes from each brain region. PMA-induced stellation was most robust in cerebellar and brainstem astrocytes, with greater than 70% responding. Less than 40% of hippocampal and diencephalic astrocytes responded to PMA at the maximum dose (10(-5) M). PMA also induced different numbers of processes or branching patterns of processes on astrocytes from different brain regions. The protein kinase C induced stellation response in astrocytes supports the hypothesis that astrocytes contribute to neural plasticity.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, New York 12201-0509.
M I
MI
Davis-Cox
J N
JN
Turner
D
D
Szarowski
W
W
Shain
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D014404:Tubulin; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate