Neuregulins and erbB receptors at neuromuscular junctions and at agrin-induced postsynaptic-like apparatus in skeletal muscle. Academic Article

abstract

• We demonstrate by immunohistochemistry that at least two isoforms of neuregulin (NRG) are concentrated at neuromuscular junctions in adult rat muscles. One is NRGbeta3, a secreted protein which is bound to basal lamina that occupies the synaptic cleft. The other(s), NRG-a, is in the muscle fibers' plasma membrane. We show further that muscle NRG, including NRG-a, is concentrated at postsynaptic-like apparatus induced to form in the extrajunctional region of the soleus muscle by exposure to neural agrin. The agrin-induced postsynaptic-like apparatus also includes aggregates of the NRG receptors erbB2 and erbB3 as does postsynaptic apparatus at neuromuscular junctions. These findings together with those of others suggest a mechanism by which neural agrin induces the expression of epsilon-AChR subunits in postsynaptic-like apparatus, and they support the hypothesis that agrin has a similar function at neuromuscular junctions.

authors

• Mcmahan, Uel
• Rimer, Mendell

published proceedings

• Mol Cell Neurosci

author list (cited authors)

• Rimer, M., Cohen, I., Lmo, T., Burden, S. J., & McMahan, U. J.

citation count

• 62

complete list of authors

• Rimer, M||Cohen, I||Lømo, T||Burden, SJ||McMahan, UJ

publication date

• January 1998

publisher

• Elsevier  Publisher

published in

• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience  Journal

keywords

• Agrin
• Animals
• DNA, Complementary
• ErbB Receptors
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique
• Gene Expression
• Glycoproteins
• Male
• Muscle Denervation
• Muscle, Skeletal
• Neuregulins
• Neuromuscular Junction
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins
• RNA, Messenger
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Receptor, ErbB-3
• Synapses
• Transfection

PubMed Central ID

• 9770336

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1006/mcne.1998.0695

start page

• 1

end page

• 15

volume

• 12

issue

• 1-2

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/mcne.1998.0695