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Zinc‐enriched neurons
Author(s) -
Danscher G.,
Stoltenberg M.
Publication year - 2003
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.1471-4159.85.s2.10_2.x
Subject(s) - postsynaptic potential , cerebellum , neuron , chemistry , zinc , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biophysics , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , synaptic vesicle , neuroscience , spinal cord , nmda receptor , biochemistry , membrane , receptor , vesicle , organic chemistry
Zinc‐enriched (ZEN) neurons are a complex group of neurons that are abundant in telencephalic structures, but present in all parts of the CNS including cerebellum and spinal cord. A ZEN neuron is characterized by containing a pool of synaptic vesicles that hold zinc ions and have zinc transporter molecules (ZnT3) in their membranes. Most likely all ZEN neurons in cerebrum are glutaminergic. However, ZEN terminals displaying an inhibitory morphology have recently been found in lamprey and mouse spinal cord and cerebellum. The functions of the vesicular pool of zinc ions are not fully characterized, but it has been suggested that zinc ions: (1) make peptides/proteins osmotic invisible and facilitate protein/peptide transport; (2) bind to certain postsynaptic receptors like NMDA and GABAA and influence the membrane potential; (3) flow into the postsynaptic neurons by specific or unspecific channels; (4) if released in excess into the intercellular space, cause damage to membrane proteins and/or flood into neurons equipped with zinc transporters or zinc gates.