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Selective expression of Narp, a secreted neuronal pentraxin, in orexin neurons
Author(s) -
Reti Irving M.,
Reddy Radhika,
Worley Paul F.,
Baraban Jay M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2002.01141.x
Subject(s) - orexin , neuroscience , ampa receptor , biology , neuropeptide , premovement neuronal activity , receptor , narcolepsy , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology , glutamate receptor , biochemistry , neurology
Recent studies have provided compelling evidence demonstrating that orexin (also known as hypocretin) neurons play a central role in the pathophysiology of narcolepsy. However, targeted deletion of orexin does not fully mimic the functional deficits induced by selective ablation of these neurons; implying that other secreted signaling molecules expressed in these neurons mediate key aspects of their function. In this study, we demonstrate that orexin neurons display robust expression of neuronal activity‐regulated pentraxin (Narp), a secreted neuronal pentraxin, implicated in regulating clustering of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptors. Furthermore, we have found that hypothalamic melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons, which form a peptidergic pathway thought to oppose the effects of the orexin system, express another neuronal pentraxin, NP1. Thus, these findings suggest that these pathways utilize neuronal pentraxins, in addition to neuropeptides, as synaptic signaling molecules.