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Vesicular amine transporter expression and isoform selection in developing brain, peripheral nervous system and gut
B Schütz1, M K Schäfer, L E Eiden
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
Brain Research. Developmental Brain Research
|April 29, 1998
Summary
Vesicular monoamine transporters (VMAT1 and VMAT2) expression during development reveals distinct lineage pathways for neuroendocrine cells in the brain, gut, and neural crest. This developmental expression pattern is crucial for chemical coding in these systems.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Vesicular monoamine transporters (VMAT1 and VMAT2) are critical for monoamine storage and neurotransmission.
- Their expression patterns during development offer insights into the differentiation of neuroendocrine cells and neurons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental expression of VMAT1 and VMAT2 isoforms in the central nervous system, gut epithelium, and neural crest derivatives.
- To understand how VMAT expression contributes to the chemical coding and lineage determination of monoaminergic cells.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of VMAT1 and VMAT2 expression during embryonic and postnatal development in the brain, gut, and autonomic nervous system.
- Utilized immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization to track transporter expression in specific cell populations.
Main Results:
- VMAT2 is expressed early in the central nervous system, while VMAT1 is specific to gut EC cells.
- Neural crest derivatives show dynamic co-expression and subsequent restriction of VMAT isoforms.
- Transient VMAT2 expression occurs in specific neuronal populations not expressing it in adulthood.
Conclusions:
- Developmental expression of VMAT isoforms is pre-determined in the brain and gut but plastic in neural crest derivatives.
- Distinct developmental trajectories of VMAT expression underscore lineage-specific regulation of chemical coding.
- These findings highlight differential gene regulation of VMATs in the autonomic nervous system compared to the brain and gut.