title: Calcium binding proteins in motoneurons at low and high risk for degeneration in ALS.
abstract: Recent reports challenge the hypothesis that expression of calcium binding proteins contributes to the greater resistance of some motoneurons to degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We therefore re-examined, using immunohistochemistry, the expression of calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin in vulnerable (hypoglossal, XII; and cervical spinal) and resistant (oculomotor, III) motoneurons of adult rats. Calbindin immunoreactivity was lacking in motor nuclei but strong in the dorsal horn. Calretinin was expressed in spinal, but not III or XII, motoneurons. Parvalbumin immunoreactivity, tested with a polyclonal antibody, was intense in spinal and III, but not XII, motoneurons; however, no staining in the ventral horn was observed with a monoclonal antibody. Differential expression of calretinin and parvalbumin within vulnerable motoneurons suggests that immunoreactivity for these proteins is not a reliable marker for resistance to degeneration in ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laslo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lipski
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Funk
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D005260:Female; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009802:Oculomotor Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012306:Risk; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: C576512:Calb2 protein, rat; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G