Distribution of peptide transporter PEPT2 mRNA in the rat nervous system

The signaling action of neuropeptides in the brain is terminated by breakdown through extracellular peptidases and subsequent removal of the peptide fragments from the extracellular fluid via specific transporter proteins. Here we describe the anatomical distribution in the rat nervous system of the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anatomy and Embryology 1999-05, Vol.199 (5), p.439-449
Main Authors: Berger, U V, Hediger, M A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Astrocytes - drug effects
Astrocytes - metabolism
Blotting, Northern
Brain - cytology
Brain - drug effects
Brain - metabolism
Carrier Proteins - genetics
Carrier Proteins - metabolism
Caudate Nucleus - drug effects
Caudate Nucleus - pathology
Cells, Cultured
Choroid Plexus - cytology
Choroid Plexus - metabolism
Ependyma - cytology
Ependyma - metabolism
Ganglia, Spinal - cytology
Ganglia, Spinal - metabolism
In Situ Hybridization
Kidney - metabolism
Male
Peptides
Quinolinic Acid - pharmacology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Retina - metabolism
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
Rodents
Symporters
Up-Regulation
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The signaling action of neuropeptides in the brain is terminated by breakdown through extracellular peptidases and subsequent removal of the peptide fragments from the extracellular fluid via specific transporter proteins. Here we describe the anatomical distribution in the rat nervous system of the recently isolated high affinity peptide transporter PEPT2. Using nonisotopic in situ hybridization we demonstrate that PEPT2 mRNA is expressed in brain by astrocytes, subependymal cells, ependymal cells and epithelial cells of choroid plexus. Furthermore, PEPT2 is expressed in retina by Müller cells and in dorsal root ganglia by satellite cells. The mRNA levels of PEPT2 in astrocytes are moderate and relatively homogenous throughout the brain except for an area in ventral forebrain where PEPT2 levels are below average. PEPT2 mRNA expression is weakly upregulated in reactive astrocytes that were stimulated through an injection of the glutamatergic neurotoxin quinolinic acid. These data suggest that removal of neuropeptide fragments from brain extracellular fluid occurs via PEPT2 expressed in astrocytes, ependymal cells and choroid plexus epithelial cells.
ISSN:0340-2061
1863-2653
1432-0568
0340-2061
DOI:10.1007/s004290050242