title: Expression of vesicular glutamate transporters in rat lumbar spinal cord, with a note on dorsal root ganglia.
abstract: Three vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) have been recently identified and their distribution has been mapped in various brain areas. In the present study, we used morphological approaches to investigate their expression in the rat lumbar spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Our results show a complementary distribution of VGLUT-expressing fibers in the spinal cord, with no overlapping in nerve endings. In the dorsal horn, VGLUT1 is most abundant in mechanosensory/proprioceptive deep afferent fibers. VGLUT2 and VGLUT3 are expressed only at moderate levels in primary sensory afferent fibers and are not used by central projections of nociceptive neurons. VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 mRNAs are mainly segregated in superficial laminae but colocalized in deeper laminae. Weak expression of VGLUT3 mRNA is only detected in deep laminae. The colocalization of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 transcripts in most sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia is not in agreement with the clear segregation between the proteins in their spinal projections. Such a discrepancy suggests targeting mechanisms specific for each transporter and/or a distinct regulation of their translation. In the ventral horn, the expression of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 mRNAs in motoneuron perikarya suggests the possible unexpected role of glutamate in the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. These results demonstrate the existence of different subpopulations of glutamate nerve terminals in the rat lumbar spinal cord and suggest that functionally distinct subsets of excitatory glutamatergic neuronal networks are involved in sensory processing and motor control.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, E 358, Université Bordeaux 2, Institut François Magendie, 33 077 Bordeaux, France. marc.landry@u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landry
authors.forename: Rabia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bouali-Benazzouz
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Mestikawy
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravassard
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D026922:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Acidic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry*; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D026922:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Acidic; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C493475:Slc17a6 protein, rat; C493466:Slc17a7 protein, rat; C482103:Slc17a8 protein, rat; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins