Search:        >> Advanced Search
Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mis, K. Articles by Grubic, Z. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mis, K. Articles by Grubic, Z. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Localization of mRNAs Encoding Acetylcholinesterase and Butyrylcholinesterase in the Rat Spinal Cord by Nonradioactive In Situ Hybridization

Katarina Mis, Tomaz Mars, Marko Jevsek, Martina Brank, Katarina Zajc–Kreft and Zoran Grubic

Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Correspondence to: Professor Zoran Grubic, MD, PhD, Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Head Institute of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloska 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: Zoran.Grubic{at}mf.uni-lj.si

In spite of intensive investigations, the roles of acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE; EC 3.1.1.8) in the central nervous system (CNS) remain unclear. A role recently proposed for BuChE as an explanation for survival of AChE knockout mice is compensation for AChE activity if it becomes insufficient. Neuronal contribution of both enzymes to the cholinesterase pool in the neuromuscular junction has also been suggested. These proposals imply that BuChE expression follows that of AChE and that, in addition to AChE, BuChE is also expressed in -motor neurons. However, these assumptions have not yet been properly tested. Histochemical approaches to these problems have been hampered by a number of problems that prevent unambiguous interpretation of results. In situ hybridization (ISH) of mRNAs encoding AChE and BuChE, which is the state-of-the-art approach, has not yet been done. Here we describe rapid nonradioactive ISH for the localization of mRNAs encoding AChE and BuChE. Various probes and experimental conditions had been tested to obtain reliable localization. In combination with RT-PCR, ISH revealed that, in rat spinal cord, cells expressing AChE mRNA also express BuChE mRNA but in smaller quantities. -Motor neurons had the highest levels of both mRNAs. Virtual absence of transcripts encoding AChE and BuChE in glia might reflect a discrepancy between mRNA and enzyme levels previously reported for cholinesterases.

(J Histochem Cytochem 51:1633–1644, 2003)

Key Words: acetylcholinesterase mRNA • butyrylcholinesterase mRNA • RT-PCR • CNS • in situ hybridization • motor neurons • spinal cord • ventral horn

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Mis Colocalization of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase in rat spinal cord Human and Experimental Toxicology, October 1, 2005; 24(10): 543 - 545. [Abstract] [PDF]

Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact

The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry is owned, published, and licensed by The Histochemical Society © 2003