title: Immunohistochemical study on the expression of calcium binding proteins (calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin) in the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampal region of nNOS knock-out(-/-) mice.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) modulates the activities of various channels and receptors to participate in the regulation of neuronal intracellular Ca(2+) levels. Ca(2+) binding protein (CaBP) expression may also be altered by NO. Accordingly, we examined expression changes in calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal region of neuronal NO synthase knockout(-/-) (nNOS(-/-)) mice using immunohistochemistry. For the first time, we demonstrate that the expression of CaBPs is specifically altered in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal region of nNOS(-/-) mice and that their expression changed according to neuronal type. As changes in CaBP expression can influence temporal and spatial intracellular Ca(2+) levels, it appears that NO may be involved in various functions, such as modulating neuronal Ca(2+) homeostasis, regulating synaptic transmission, and neuroprotection, by influencing the expression of CaBPs. Therefore, these results suggest another mechanism by which NO participates in the regulation of neuronal Ca(2+) homeostasis. However, the exact mechanisms of this regulation and its functional significance require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jae Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bong Gu
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jaeyeol
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Hyeon Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Onju
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Do-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Choong Ik
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Kyeung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Joo