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An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse
Published on: August 7, 2013
Proteome analysis of isolated myenteric plexus reveals significant changes in protein expression during postnatal
Cornelia Irene Hagl1, Olivia Thil, Stefan Holland-Cunz
1University of Heidelberg, Clinical Faculty Mannheim, Department of Paediatric Surgery, Mannheim, Germany.
Autonomic Neuroscience : Basic & Clinical
|September 27, 2005
Summary
Protein expression in the developing rat enteric nervous system changes significantly during the first two postnatal weeks. Key proteins like stathmin and polyubiquitin are crucial for this critical developmental period.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Proteomics
Background:
- The enteric nervous system (ENS), part of the peripheral nervous system, exhibits complexity akin to the central nervous system.
- The ENS is highly adaptable, undergoing changes during development, disease, and dietary shifts.
- Understanding ENS development is crucial for diagnosing gut and potentially central nervous system disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate protein expression changes in the rat myenteric plexus during the first two postnatal weeks.
- To identify specific proteins involved in the pre- and postnatal development of the ENS.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of colonic and duodenal myenteric plexus from newborn (P1) and 14-day-old (P14) Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Utilized a combination of enzymatic digestion and mechanical agitation for tissue isolation.
- Employed two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) for protein separation and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for protein identification.
Main Results:
- Identified significant differences in protein expression between P1 and P14 rat myenteric plexus samples.
- Several differentially expressed proteins were identified, including stathmin, polyubiquitin, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein.
- These proteins appear to play vital roles in ENS pre- and postnatal development.
Conclusions:
- Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry is effective for identifying proteins in the ENS.
- This technique can aid in discovering disease-relevant proteins within the ENS.
- Findings suggest potential for early diagnosis of neurological disorders using gut biopsies.
