Distribution and Levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Receptor Across Mouse Brain Cell Types

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF-2R), also known as the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR), is crucial for brain function and disease.
• IGF-2R plays a role in long-term memory and shows therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cell-type-specific and subcellular expression of IGF-2R in the adult mouse brain.
• To compare IGF-2R protein distribution with its mRNA expression.

Main Methods:

• Dual and multiplex immunofluorescent staining in different brain regions of adult male C57BL/6J mice.
• Comparison of protein levels with publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing databases for mRNA expression.

Main Results:

• IGF-2R protein is highly enriched in excitatory and inhibitory neurons, vascular mural cells, and oligodendrocyte lineage cells.
• Low IGF-2R levels were observed in astrocytes, microglia, and endothelial cells.
• The receptor's protein distribution in the brain correlated with its mRNA expression patterns.

Conclusions:

• IGF-2R functions in the brain are cell-type and subcellular compartment-specific.
• The study provides essential data on IGF-2R distribution for understanding its roles and therapeutic targeting in neurological conditions.