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Oligodendrocytes in brain and optic nerve express the β3 subunit isoform of Na,K‐ATPase
Author(s) -
MartínVasallo Pablo,
Wetzel Randall K.,
GarcíaSegura Luis M.,
MolinaHolgado Eduardo,
Arystarkhova Elena,
Sweadner Kathleen J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/1098-1136(200009)31:3<206::aid-glia20>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - biology , oligodendrocyte , gene isoform , galactocerebroside , axolemma , astrocyte , neuroglia , optic nerve , white matter , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , neuroscience , myelin , biochemistry , gene , medicine , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging
The Na,K‐ATPase, which catalyzes the active transport of Na + and K + , has two principal subunits (α and β) that have several genetically distinct isoforms. Most of these isoforms are expressed in the nervous system, but certain ones are preferentially expressed in glia and others in neurons. Of the β isoforms, β1 predominates in neurons and β2 in astrocytes, although there are some exceptions. Here we demonstrate that β3 is expressed in rat and mouse white matter oligodendrocytes. Immunofluorescence microscopy identified β3 in oligodendrocytes of rat brain white matter in typical linear arrays of cell bodies between fascicles of axons. The intensity of stain peaked at 20 postnatal days. β3 was identified in cortical oligodendrocytes grown in culture, where it was expressed in processes and colocalized with antibody to galactocerebroside. In the mouse and rat optic nerve, β3 stain was seen in oligodendrocytes, where it colocalized with carbonic anhydrase II. For comparison, optic nerve was stained for the β1 and β2 subunits, showing distinct patterns of labelling of axons (β1) and astrocytes (β2). The C6 glioma cell line was also found to express the β3 isoform preferentially. Since β3 was not found at detectable levels in astrocytes, this suggests that C6 is closer to oligodendrocytes than astrocytes in the glial cell lineage. GLIA 31:206–218, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.