title: Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase variant, nNOS-mu, in rat brain.
abstract: Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is alternatively spliced. An nNOS splice variant form, nNOS-mu, was first found to be selectively expressed in rat skeletal muscle and heart. To date, the expression of nNOS-mu in the brain has not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to determine whether nNOS-mu is expressed in rat brain, and whether nNOS-mu exhibits a specific expression pattern. To analyze the expression of nNOS-mu, we generated a monoclonal antibody that is specific for nNOS-mu. An immunoblot analysis using this antibody showed that nNOS-mu is expressed in the rat brain at a measurable level, which was 10.3% of total nNOSs. In rat brain, the nNOS-mu expression was high in the mesencephalon and the cerebellum. nNOS-mu was immunohistochemically localized in neurites and perikarya of large neurons. In the cerebellum, granule cells showed marked staining, while weak staining was detected in basket and stellate cells. This expression pattern is different from that described for nNOS and suggests that nNOS-mu plays unique roles in different neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan. ihara@b.s.osakafu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuwamura
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atsuta
authors.forename: Itsuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nihonmatsu
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukamoto
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozaki
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007527:Isoenzymes; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I