Biomaterial Database

Regulation of the intermediate filament protein nestin at rodent neuromuscular junctions by innervation and activity. 2007

Hyuno Kang, and Le Tian, and Young-Jin Son, and Yi Zuo, and Diane Procaccino, and Flora Love, and Christopher Hayworth, and Joshua Trachtenberg, and Michelle Mikesh, and Lee Sutton, and Olga Ponomareva, and John Mignone, and Grigori Enikolopov, and Mendell Rimer, and Wesley Thompson

Section of Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.

The intermediate filament nestin is localized postsynaptically at rodent neuromuscular junctions. The protein forms a filamentous network beneath and between the synaptic gutters, surrounds myofiber nuclei, and is associated with Z-discs adjacent to the junction. In situ hybridization shows that nestin mRNA is synthesized selectively by synaptic myonuclei. Although weak immunoreactivity is present in myelinating Schwann cells that wrap the preterminal axon, nestin is not detected in the terminal Schwann cells (tSCs) that cover the nerve terminal branches. However, after denervation of muscle, nestin is upregulated in tSCs and in SCs within the nerve distal to the lesion site. In contrast, immunoreactivity is strongly downregulated in the muscle fiber. Transgenic mice in which the nestin neural enhancer drives expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter show that the regulation in SCs is transcriptional. However, the postsynaptic expression occurs through enhancer elements distinct from those responsible for regulation in SCs. Application of botulinum toxin shows that the upregulation in tSCs and the loss of immunoreactivity in muscle fibers occurs with blockade of transmitter release. Extrinsic stimulation of denervated muscle maintains the postsynaptic expression of nestin but does not affect the upregulation in SCs. Thus, a nestin-containing cytoskeleton is promoted in the postsynaptic muscle fiber by nerve-evoked muscle activity but suppressed in tSCs by transmitter release. Nestin antibodies and GFP driven by nestin promoter elements serve as excellent markers for the reactive state of SCs. Vital imaging of GFP shows that SCs grow a dynamic set of processes after denervation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007381	Intermediate Filament Proteins	Filaments 7-11 nm in diameter found in the cytoplasm of all cells. Many specific proteins belong to this group, e.g., desmin, vimentin, prekeratin, decamin, skeletin, neurofilin, neurofilament protein, and glial fibrillary acid protein.	Fibroblast Intermediate Filament Proteins,Filament Proteins, Intermediate,Proteins, Intermediate Filament
D008822	Mice, Transgenic	Laboratory mice that have been produced from a genetically manipulated EGG or EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Transgenic Mice,Founder Mice, Transgenic,Mouse, Founder, Transgenic,Mouse, Transgenic,Mice, Transgenic Founder,Transgenic Founder Mice,Transgenic Mouse
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D009469	Neuromuscular Junction	The synapse between a neuron and a muscle.	Myoneural Junction,Nerve-Muscle Preparation,Junction, Myoneural,Junction, Neuromuscular,Junctions, Myoneural,Junctions, Neuromuscular,Myoneural Junctions,Nerve Muscle Preparation,Nerve-Muscle Preparations,Neuromuscular Junctions,Preparation, Nerve-Muscle,Preparations, Nerve-Muscle
D004742	Enhancer Elements, Genetic	Cis-acting DNA sequences which can increase transcription of genes. Enhancers can usually function in either orientation and at various distances from a promoter.	Enhancer Elements,Enhancer Sequences,Element, Enhancer,Element, Genetic Enhancer,Elements, Enhancer,Elements, Genetic Enhancer,Enhancer Element,Enhancer Element, Genetic,Enhancer Sequence,Genetic Enhancer Element,Genetic Enhancer Elements,Sequence, Enhancer,Sequences, Enhancer
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012583	Schwann Cells	Neuroglial cells of the peripheral nervous system which form the insulating myelin sheaths of peripheral axons.	Schwann Cell,Cell, Schwann,Cells, Schwann
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus
D018482	Muscle, Skeletal	A subtype of striated muscle, attached by TENDONS to the SKELETON. Skeletal muscles are innervated and their movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary muscles.	Anterior Tibial Muscle,Gastrocnemius Muscle,Muscle, Voluntary,Plantaris Muscle,Skeletal Muscle,Soleus Muscle,Muscle, Anterior Tibial,Muscle, Gastrocnemius,Muscle, Plantaris,Muscle, Soleus,Muscles, Skeletal,Muscles, Voluntary,Skeletal Muscles,Tibial Muscle, Anterior,Voluntary Muscle,Voluntary Muscles