title: Vitamin E imaging and localization in the neuronal membrane.
abstract: Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) has been implicated in several cellular processes including signaling, transport, lipid membrane curvature, and several neurodegenerative disorders. Vitamin E imaging has been hindered by the inaccessibility of the molecule to traditional immunohistochemical methods. Using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), the distribution of major constituents in the cellular membrane of isolated neurons was investigated. There is a significant increase in the vitamin E signal at the soma-neurite junction compared to the cell as a whole (165 +/- 11% of that found across the cell, p = 0.004, n = 12). The observed membrane distribution suggests an important new role for vitamin E in neuronal function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Monroe
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jurchen
authors.forename: Jinju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stanislav S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rubakhin
authors.forename: Jonathan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Sweedler
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E