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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

The Neuromuscular Junction: Measuring Synapse Size, Fragmentation and Changes in Synaptic Protein Density Using Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
12:18

The Neuromuscular Junction: Measuring Synapse Size, Fragmentation and Changes in Synaptic Protein Density Using Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: December 26, 2014

Strong immunoreactivity of platelet-derived growth factor and its receptor at human and mouse neuromuscular junctions

Y Zhao1, K Haginoya, K Iinuma

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
|March 30, 2000
PubMed

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and its alpha-receptor were localized at human and mouse neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) using specific polyclonal antibodies against each, anti-PDGF-A and anti-PDGF alpha-receptor, respectively. By applying double fluorescence labeling, immunoreactivity for PDGF and its receptor was closely co-localized with acetylcholine receptors, which were identified with alpha-bungarotoxin. PDGF might be involved in the interaction between the presynaptic and postsynaptic components. This is the first demonstration of PDGF and its receptor concentrated at human and mouse NMJs.

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