Linked Life Data

8843086

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/8843086

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1997-1-6
pubmed:abstractText
Glutamate is the major mediator of fast excitatory neurotransmission in the mammalian central nervous system. Disturbances of this neurotransmitter system have been implicated in chronic degenerative neurological disease. Recently, major advances in our knowledge and understanding of the molecular biology of the glutamatergic receptor system have been made. It is now known that functional glutamate receptors consist of various combinations of some 20 identified subunits. A growing body of circumstantial evidence suggests that the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors may mediate, at least in part, the selective motor neuron death seen in the human neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We have used subunit specific immunocytochemistry to study the distribution and potential subunit composition of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) selective glutamate receptors, (a subgroup of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate selective glutamate receptors formed by combinations of GluR1-4 subunits), in the human motor system. Motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem, and motor cortex were relatively strongly immunoreactive with the GluR2/3 subunit antibody, moderately so with the GluR4 subunit antibody, and showed relatively low levels of immunoreactivity with the GluR1 subunit antibody. This is the first detailed study of AMPA receptor subunit expression in the human motor system. Motor neurons express a distinct subunit profile when compared with other groups of neurons in the human nervous system. There were no significant differences in the pattern of relative AMPA subunit expression (GluR2/3 > or = GluR4 > GluR1) between groups of motor neurons typically affected (in the spinal cord and hypoglossal nucleus), or spared (oculomotor and Onufs nucleus) by the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease process. However, oculomotor motor neurons had higher levels of expression of all AMPA subunit proteins which may indicate greater AMPA mediated glutamatergic input in the normal function of this neuronal population. This study does not support a role for differential subunit composition of AMPA receptors in determining the selective vulnerability of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the overall density of receptors may be of importance.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0306-4522
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
74
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
185-98
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-9-29
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1996
pubmed:articleTitle
An immunocytochemical study of the distribution of AMPA selective glutamate receptor subunits in the normal human motor system.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't