Involvement of extracellular matrix in acetylcholine receptor epsilon-subunit gene expression at the rat
A Herczeg1, G Jones, H R Brenner
1Department of Physiology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
During neuromuscular development, the nerve induces the expression of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) epsilon-subunit gene selectively in synaptic myonuclei. Here we show that even after elimination of neural effects by denervation, synaptic expression of epsilon-subunit transcripts is maintained for > 4 months. In contrast, after damage of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by treatment with proteolytic enzymes, epsilon-subunit mRNA is significantly reduced within less than 1 day, indicating a role of ECM in the regulation of AChR subunit transcripts at the synapse.
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