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The Journal of Neuroscience, December 15, 1999, 19(24):10813-10828
Gap Junctional Coupling and Patterns of Connexin Expression among
Neonatal Rat Lumbar Spinal Motor Neurons
Qiang
Chang1,
Michael
Gonzalez1,
Martin J.
Pinter2, and
Rita J.
Balice-Gordon1
1 Department of Neuroscience, University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6074, and 2 Department of Physiology, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Interneuronal gap junctional coupling is a hallmark of neural
development whose functional significance is poorly understood. We have
characterized the extent of electrical coupling and dye coupling and
patterns of gap junction protein expression in lumbar spinal motor
neurons of neonatal rats. Intracellular recordings showed that neonatal
motor neurons are transiently electrically coupled and that electrical
coupling is reversibly abolished by halothane, a gap junction blocker.
Iontophoretic injection of Neurobiotin, a low molecular weight compound
that passes across most gap junctions, into single motor neurons
resulted in clusters of many labeled motor neurons at postnatal day 0 (P0)-P2, and single labeled motor neurons after P7. The compact
distribution of dye-labeled motor neurons suggested that, after birth,
gap junctional coupling is spatially restricted. RT-PCR, in
situ hybridization, and immunostaining showed that motor
neurons express five connexins, Cx36, Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45, a
repertoire distinct from that expressed by other neurons or glia.
Although all five connexins are widely expressed among motor neurons in
embryonic and neonatal life, Cx36, Cx37, and Cx43 continue to be
expressed in many adult motor neurons, and expression of Cx45, and in
particular Cx40, decreases after birth. The disappearance of electrical
and dye coupling despite the persistent expression of several gap
junction proteins suggests that gap junctional communication among
motor neurons may be modulated by mechanisms that affect gap junction assembly, permeability, or open state.
Key words:
gap junction; motor neuron; connexin; spinal cord; neuromuscular junction; activity
Copyright © 1999 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/99/192410813-16$05.00/0
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