title: Localization of L-type calcium channel Ca(V)1.3 in cat lumbar spinal cord--with emphasis on motoneurons.
abstract: Voltage-dependent persistent inward currents (PICs) which underlie the plateau potentials are an important intrinsic property of spinal motoneurons. Electrophysiological experiments have indicated that a subtype of the low threshold L-type calcium channel, Ca(V)1.3, mediates this current. In mouse and turtle lumbar spinal cord it has been shown that these channel proteins are mainly found on motoneuron dendrites. In the present study we have used immunohistochemistry to locate these channels in lumbar spinal neurons, especially motoneurons, of the cat. The results indicate that Ca(V)1.3 immunoreactivity was unevenly distributed among the laminae of the spinal grey matter. The small neurons in superficial dorsal horn (laminae I-III) were sparsely and weakly labelled, while large neurons in ventral horn were frequently and densely labelled. Groups of motoneurons in lamina IX that were immunoreactive to choline acetyltransferase also co-expressed Ca(V)1.3. The immunoreactivity was mainly associated with neuronal somata and proximal dendrites. Double staining with antibodies against Ca(V)1.3 and MAP2 (a dendritic marker) showed that some fine fibres, which may include distal dendrites, were also labelled. These results in the cat spinal cord show some differences from studies in mouse and turtle motoneurons where the immunoreactivity against this channel was mainly localized to the dendrites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. mzhang@mfi.ku.dk
authors.forename: Mengliang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Natalya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sukiasyan
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bezprozvanny
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wienecke
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hultborn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D002415:Cats; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase