Immunohistochemical localisation of mGluR7 protein in the rodent and human cerebellar cortex using subtype specific...

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are a heterogeneous family of G protein coupled receptors that are linked to multiple second messenger systems to regulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. To characterise the protein expression of the two mGluR7 receptor splice variants in human and rat cerebellar cortex, antibodies specific to mGluR7 were generated. Antibodies were raised against a glutathione-S-transferase fusion protein containing amino acid residues located in the extracellular domain common to both the human and rat mGluR7 splice variants. These antibodies specifically detected human mGluR7a in mammalian cells transfected with this receptor. In agreement with mGluR7 in situ hybridisation studies, immunohistochemistry performed at the light microscope level revealed that mGluR7 protein expression occurred most prominently in a particular population of nerve cells common to both the human and rat, located within the cerebellar cortex of gray matter contained within transverse folia. Moreover, strong mGluR7-like immunoreactivity was seen in Purkinje cell body cytoplasm of the Purkinje cell layer. In the most superficial cerebellar cortical layer, the molecular layer, immunostaining was observed in Purkinje cell associated proximal and distal dendritic trees. No detectable labelling was evident in intrinsic deep cerebellar nuclei known to contain GABAergic terminals of projecting Purkinje cell axons. These data are suggestive of a post-synaptic location of mGluR7 in this central nervous system structure. In the rodent, additional non-Purkinje cells thought to represent inhibitory interneurones were labelled at all levels in the molecular layer. mGluR7-like immunoreactivity was not associated with glial cells.