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Electrophysiological properties of enkephalinergic neurons visualized in BAC transgenic mice
Author(s) -
Tsuda Masayuki,
Takasusuki Toshifumi,
Hori Yuuichi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.945.6
Subject(s) - electrophysiology , neuroscience , spinal cord , green fluorescent protein , depolarization , biology , enkephalin , neuron , patch clamp , anatomy , biophysics , opioid , receptor , gene , biochemistry
Enkephalinergic neurons have been found in several areas of the central nervous system, including the spinal cord dorsal horn, where they play an important role in the transmission and modulation of nociceptive information. In an attempt to visualize enkephalinergic neurons in vivo, we generated a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome transgenic mouse in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is expressed in enkephalinergic neurons under the control of the preproenkephalin gene promoter. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that the expression pattern of EGFP is similar to that of endogenous enkephalin. Patch‐clamp recordings were made from EGFP‐fluorescent neurons located in the superficial dorsal horn of spinal cord slices, and the electrophysiological properties of these neurons were investigated. Some neurons exhibited bursts of action potentials throughout a depolarizing current pulse, other neurons showed a strong accommodation of action potentials, and other neurons fired a single action potential in response to a depolarizing current pulse. The remaining neurons showed different firing patterns. EGFP‐fluorescent enkephalinergic neurons in the superficial dorsal horn come in a variety of electrophysiological properties. This work was supported by grants from the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (MT).