Eaker E Y, Sallustio J E
Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville.
Gastroenterology. 1994 Sep;107(3):666-74. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(94)90113-9.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies with neurofilament antibodies as neuronal markers have shown subpopulations of myenteric neurons that do not contain neurofilament proteins. Novel neuronal intermediate filament proteins alpha-internexin, peripherin, and nestin have been identified. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of these novel intermediate filaments in comparison with neurofilaments in myenteric plexus neurons.
Using indirect immunofluorescence techniques in whole-mount cryostat sections from neonate and adult rat small intestine and in primary cultures of myenteric neurons, the distribution of neurofilaments, alpha-internexin, peripherin, and nestin was studied in comparison with the neuronal marker protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 in myenteric neurons.
Sixty-five percent of neurons contained neurofilament triplet proteins. alpha-Internexin and/or peripherin were found in the neurofilament-negative neurons. PGP 9.5 was present in 80% of the myenteric neurons. Of the neurons that were PGP negative, > 95% contained peripherin or alpha-internexin. Nestin was not found in either neonate or adult myenteric neurons but was seen in glial cells in culture.
The results suggest that a subpopulation of myenteric neurons lacks neurofilament triplet proteins but contains either peripherin, alpha-internexin, or both. This selective distribution of intermediate filaments in subpopulations of enteric neurons may support differential roles in these structurally unique neurons.
背景/目的：近期以神经丝抗体作为神经元标志物的研究表明，肌间神经丛神经元亚群不含神经丝蛋白。现已鉴定出新型神经元中间丝蛋白α-中间连接蛋白、外周蛋白和巢蛋白。本研究的目的是比较这些新型中间丝与神经丝在肌间神经丛神经元中的分布情况。
采用间接免疫荧光技术，对新生大鼠和成年大鼠小肠的恒冷箱切片以及肌间神经丛神经元的原代培养物进行研究，比较神经丝、α-中间连接蛋白、外周蛋白和巢蛋白与肌间神经丛神经元中神经元标志物蛋白基因产物（PGP）9.5的分布情况。
65%的神经元含有神经丝三联体蛋白。在神经丝阴性神经元中发现了α-中间连接蛋白和/或外周蛋白。80%的肌间神经丛神经元中存在PGP 9.5。在PGP阴性的神经元中，超过95%含有外周蛋白或α-中间连接蛋白。在新生或成年肌间神经丛神经元中均未发现巢蛋白，但在培养的神经胶质细胞中可见。
结果表明，肌间神经丛神经元亚群缺乏神经丝三联体蛋白，但含有外周蛋白、α-中间连接蛋白或两者皆有。这些中间丝在肠神经元亚群中的选择性分布可能支持这些结构独特的神经元发挥不同的作用。
