title: Calcium-binding proteins in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area during development: correlation with dopaminergic compartmentalization.
abstract: The importance of calcium in neuronal function has been amply demonstrated in recent years. The discovery of a class of proteins within neurons which bind calcium, therefore, has proven to be a catalyst for the generation of theories and hypotheses regarding mechanisms of neurotoxicity in the CNS. In addition, the distribution of certain calcium-binding proteins changes during neural development, suggesting that they may play a role in organization or pattern generation. We have examined the ontogeny of three related calcium-binding proteins, calbindin-D28, parvalbumin and calretinin, with respect to the ventral and dorsal compartments or tiers of the dopaminergic population in the ventral midbrain. Single and dual-label immunocytochemistry was employed to map the distributions of calcium-binding proteins and tyrosine hydroxylase from E18 through adulthood. The results show that each of the three proteins exhibits a unique developmental sequence and compartment preference, with calbindin D28 clearly related to the later-developing dorsal tier, and parvalbumin and calretinin to the ventral tier of the dopaminergic ventral mesencephalon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfahel-Kakunda
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C576512:Calb2 protein, rat; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine