title: Constitutive nuclear localization of activated caspase 3 in subpopulations of the astroglial family of cells.
abstract: In a study examining for apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), we observed the constitutive presence of activated caspase 3 in Bergmann glia. We then examined stroke-prone SHR as well as the normotensive strains Wistar, Wistar Kyoto, and Sprague-Dawley. In all these strains, we found that Bergmann glia expressed activated caspase 3 in nuclei. Furthermore, subpopulations of astrocytes in the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex, in the hippocampus, and spinal cord gray matter, particularly in the dorsal part of the dorsal horns, expressed nuclear activated caspase 3. This distribution corresponds to the distribution of astrocytes that express the glutamate transporter GLAST. We conclude that Bergmann glia and a subpopulation of astrocytes throughout the CNS express activated caspase 3 in nuclei to fulfill a yet-to-be defined non-apoptotic function. GLIA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Noyan-Ashraf
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brandizzi
authors.forename: Bernhard H J
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Juurlink
mesh_terms: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1; D005260:Female; D050491:Glutamate Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013045:Species Specificity; D027981:Symporters / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG; D015415:Biomarkers; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1; D050491:Glutamate Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493392:Slc1a3 protein, rat; D027981:Symporters; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases