title: Cellular distribution of the NMDA receptor NR2A/2B subunits in the rat striatum.
abstract: Using immunohistochemical double-labeling with a specific antibody recognizing both NR2A and NR2B subunits, we studied the cellular distribution of the NMDA receptor subunit NR2A/2B on all major known striatal neuron types. Among striatal interneurons, our results showed that none of somatostatin interneurons was labeled for NR2A/2B subunits, 56% of parvalbumin interneurons were double-labeled for NR2A/2B, and all identified cholinergic interneurons were labeled for NR2A/2B. Among striatal projections neurons, 95% of striatonigral neurons, 96% of enkephalin-containing neurons, and 98% of calbindin-containing striatal matrix neurons were double-labeled for NR2A/2B. Our studies demonstrate that there is a differential distribution of the NMDA receptor NR2A/2B subunits on striatal neuron types. The paucity of NR2A/2B subunits on NMDA receptors on striatal somatostatin interneurons may confer resistance to NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity on these neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee-Memphis 38163, USA.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiner
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D064026:Calbindins; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007395:Interneurons / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D004745:Enkephalins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D013373:Substance P; D013004:Somatostatin; D000109:Acetylcholine