Expression of an inwardly rectifying K(+) channel, Kir4.1, in satellite cells of rat cochlear ganglia.
Satellite cells are glial cells wrapped around somata of sensory and autonomic ganglion neurons. Neither their functional roles nor electrical properties have been fully clarified so far. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that inwardly rectifying K(+) channel subunit Kir4.1 (also called Kir1.2 or K(AB)-2) was expressed prominently in the satellite cells of cochlear ganglia. The Kir4.1 immunoreactivity was localized specifically at the myelin sheaths of satellite cells wrapping the somata of the ganglion neurons. Developmental expression of Kir4.1 in satellite cells paralleled development of the action potential in the auditory nerve. These results suggest that this channel in satellite cells may be responsible for the regulation of K(+) extruded from the ganglion neurons during excitation.
Hibino
H
H
Department of Pharmacology II, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Horio
Y
Y
Fujita
A
A
Inanobe
A
A
Doi
K
K
Gotow
T
T
Uchiyama
Y
Y
Kubo
T
T
Kurachi
Y
Y
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005724:Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000378:metabolism; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013136:Spiral Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
D015221:Potassium Channels; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying