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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
10:08
Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting
Published on: December 9, 2022
Regulation of KCC2 and NKCC during development: membrane insertion and differences between cell types
Ling-Li Zhang1, Marie E Fina, Noga Vardi
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|September 8, 2006
Summary
The developmental switch in GABA
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cellular Physiology
Background:
- GABA's function shifts from excitatory to inhibitory during development, linked to intracellular chloride changes.
- KCC2 (potassium-chloride cotransporter 2) extrudes chloride, while NKCC (sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter) accumulates it.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between the developmental expression of KCC2 and NKCC and the GABA switch in the ferret retina.
- To understand the cellular localization and developmental timing of KCC2 and NKCC.
Main Methods:
- Immunoblotting to quantify KCC2 and NKCC protein levels in ferret retina during development.
- Immunocytochemistry to visualize the cellular distribution and localization of KCC2.
Main Results:
- KCC2 expression increased exponentially with age, paralleling synaptic marker synaptophysin.
- NKCC showed an initial constant level, followed by upregulation and subsequent downregulation to a higher adult level.
- KCC2 cellular localization shifted from cytosol to plasma membrane in ganglion cells and showed transient expression in photoreceptors.
Conclusions:
- KCC2 upregulation alone does not fully explain the rapid GABA switch in ganglion cells; plasma membrane integration and NKCC downregulation may also contribute.
- Transient KCC2 expression in photoreceptors suggests a developmental role for this transporter in this cell type.
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