Functional glycine receptors are expressed by postnatal nestin-positive neural stem/progenitor cells.
Multipotent neural stem and progenitor cells (NS/PCs) are well-established cell subpopulations occurring in the developing, and also in the mature mammalian nervous systems. Trophic and transcription factors are currently the main signals known to influence the development and the commitment of NS/PCs and their progeny. However, recent studies suggest that neurotransmitters could also contribute to neural development. In that respect, rodent-cultured embryonic NS/PCs have been reported to express functional neurotransmitter receptors. No similar investigation has, however, been made in postnatal and/or in adult rodent brain stem cells. In this study, using RT-PCR and immunocytochemical methods, we show that alpha(1)-, alpha(2)- and beta-subunit mRNAs and alpha-subunit proteins of the glycine ionotropic receptor are expressed by 80.5 +/- 0.9% of postnatal rat striatum-derived, nestin-positive cells within cultured neurospheres. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments further demonstrated that glycine triggers in 33.5% of these cells currents that can be reversibly blocked by strychnine and picrotoxin. This demonstrates that NS/PCs express functional glycine receptors, the consequence(s) of their activation remaining unknown.
Nguyen
Laurent
L
Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, 17 Place Delcour, B-4020 Liège, Belgium. laurent.nguyen@student.ulg.ac.be
Malgrange
Brigitte
B
Belachew
Shibeshih
S
Rogister
Bernard
B
Rocher
Véronique
V
Moonen
Gustave
G
Rigo
Jean-Michel
JM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
D018118:Chloride Channels; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D005998:Glycine; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D010852:Picrotoxin; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D013331:Strychnine; C577486:Nes protein, rat