title: Expression of dystrophins and the dystrophin-associated-protein complex by pituicytes in culture.
abstract: The dystrophin-associated-protein complex (DAPC) has been extensively characterized in the central nervous system where it is localized both in neuronal and glial cells. Few studies have characterized this complex in the neurohypophysis. To further study this complex in pituicytes, the resident astroglia of the neurophypophysis, we used adult pituicyte cultures and determined the expression and localization of dystrophins/utrophins and the DAPC by RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our data show that the pituicytes express dystrophins, utrophins and several members of the DAPC including dystroglycans, δ-, γ-sarcoglycans, α-dystrobrevin-1 and α1-syntrophin. Double immunofluorescence analysis shows that laminin colocalizes with dystroglycan, suggesting that similarly to muscle and astrocytes, the DAPC interacts with the extracellular matrix in pituicytes. Collectively these findings show that dystrophins/utrophins and members of the DAPC are expressed in pituicytes where they may form multiprotein complexes and play a role in the retraction-reinsertion of pituicyte endfeet during specific physiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie des Organismes, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumédienne (USTHB), Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Abdelkader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bougrid
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Claudepierre
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Picaud
authors.forename: Ghazi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ayad
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mornet
authors.forename: Latifa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorbani-Mamine
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rendon
authors.forename: Halima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Darbeida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049028:Dystrophin-Associated Protein Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049029:Dystrophin-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D049411:Utrophin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin; D049028:Dystrophin-Associated Protein Complex; D049029:Dystrophin-Associated Proteins; D007797:Laminin; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D049411:Utrophin; C098885:dystrobrevin