Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells

Studies in rodents revealed that selective accumulation of Na+ channel subtypes at the axon initial segment (AIS) determines action potential (AP) initiation and backpropagation in cortical pyramidal cells (PCs); however, in human cortex, the molecular identity of Na+ channels distributed at PC axon...

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Main Authors: Cuiping eTian, Kaiyan eWang, Wei eKe, Hui eGuo, Yousheng eShu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncel.2014.00297/full
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author Cuiping eTian
Kaiyan eWang
Wei eKe
Hui eGuo
Yousheng eShu
author_facet Cuiping eTian
Kaiyan eWang
Wei eKe
Hui eGuo
Yousheng eShu
author_sort Cuiping eTian
collection DOAJ
description Studies in rodents revealed that selective accumulation of Na+ channel subtypes at the axon initial segment (AIS) determines action potential (AP) initiation and backpropagation in cortical pyramidal cells (PCs); however, in human cortex, the molecular identity of Na+ channels distributed at PC axons, including the AIS and the nodes of Ranvier, remains unclear. We performed immunostaining experiments in human cortical tissues removed surgically to cure brain diseases. We found strong immunosignals of Na+ channels and two channel subtypes, NaV1.2 and NaV1.6, at the AIS of human cortical PCs. Although both channel subtypes were expressed along the entire AIS, the peak immunosignals of NaV1.2 and NaV1.6 were found at proximal and distal AIS regions, respectively. Surprisingly, in addition to the presence of NaV1.6 at the nodes of Ranvier, NaV1.2 was also found in a subpopulation of nodes in the adult human cortex, different from the absence of NaV1.2 in myelinated axons in rodents. NaV1.1 immunosignals were not detected at either the AIS or the nodes of Ranvier of PCs; however, they were expressed at interneuron axons with different distribution patterns. Further experiments revealed that parvalbumin-positive GABAergic axon cartridges selectively innervated distal AIS regions with relatively high immunosignals of NaV1.6 but not the proximal NaV1.2-enriched compartments, suggesting an important role of axo-axonic cells in regulating AP initiation in human PCs. Together, our results show that both NaV1.2 and NaV1.6 (but not NaV1.1) channel subtypes are expressed at the AIS and the nodes of Ranvier in adult human cortical PCs, suggesting that these channel subtypes control neuronal excitability and signal conduction in PC axons.
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spelling doaj.art-ef802c242bba4a5fbd1ac627056ad3302022-12-21T20:26:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience1662-51022014-09-01810.3389/fncel.2014.00297107357Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cellsCuiping eTian0Kaiyan eWang1Wei eKe2Hui eGuo3Yousheng eShu4Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityBeijing Normal UniversityShanghai Quyang Hospital, Tongji UniversityBeijing Normal UniversityStudies in rodents revealed that selective accumulation of Na+ channel subtypes at the axon initial segment (AIS) determines action potential (AP) initiation and backpropagation in cortical pyramidal cells (PCs); however, in human cortex, the molecular identity of Na+ channels distributed at PC axons, including the AIS and the nodes of Ranvier, remains unclear. We performed immunostaining experiments in human cortical tissues removed surgically to cure brain diseases. We found strong immunosignals of Na+ channels and two channel subtypes, NaV1.2 and NaV1.6, at the AIS of human cortical PCs. Although both channel subtypes were expressed along the entire AIS, the peak immunosignals of NaV1.2 and NaV1.6 were found at proximal and distal AIS regions, respectively. Surprisingly, in addition to the presence of NaV1.6 at the nodes of Ranvier, NaV1.2 was also found in a subpopulation of nodes in the adult human cortex, different from the absence of NaV1.2 in myelinated axons in rodents. NaV1.1 immunosignals were not detected at either the AIS or the nodes of Ranvier of PCs; however, they were expressed at interneuron axons with different distribution patterns. Further experiments revealed that parvalbumin-positive GABAergic axon cartridges selectively innervated distal AIS regions with relatively high immunosignals of NaV1.6 but not the proximal NaV1.2-enriched compartments, suggesting an important role of axo-axonic cells in regulating AP initiation in human PCs. Together, our results show that both NaV1.2 and NaV1.6 (but not NaV1.1) channel subtypes are expressed at the AIS and the nodes of Ranvier in adult human cortical PCs, suggesting that these channel subtypes control neuronal excitability and signal conduction in PC axons.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncel.2014.00297/fullparvalbuminpyramidal cellaxon initial segmenthuman cortexnode of Ranvierchandelier cell
spellingShingle Cuiping eTian
Kaiyan eWang
Wei eKe
Hui eGuo
Yousheng eShu
Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
parvalbumin
pyramidal cell
axon initial segment
human cortex
node of Ranvier
chandelier cell
title Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
title_full Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
title_fullStr Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
title_full_unstemmed Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
title_short Molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
title_sort molecular identity of axonal sodium channels in human cortical pyramidal cells
topic parvalbumin
pyramidal cell
axon initial segment
human cortex
node of Ranvier
chandelier cell
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncel.2014.00297/full
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AT weieke molecularidentityofaxonalsodiumchannelsinhumancorticalpyramidalcells
AT huieguo molecularidentityofaxonalsodiumchannelsinhumancorticalpyramidalcells
AT youshengeshu molecularidentityofaxonalsodiumchannelsinhumancorticalpyramidalcells