Glial glucokinase expression in adult and post-natal development of the hypothalamic region.
ASN Neuro
; 2(3): e00035, 2010 May 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-20531973
It has recently been proposed that hypothalamic glial cells sense glucose levels and release lactate as a signal to activate adjacent neurons. GK (glucokinase), the hexokinase involved in glucose sensing in pancreatic beta-cells, is also expressed in the hypothalamus. However, it has not been clearly determined if glial and/or neuronal cells express this protein. Interestingly, tanycytes, the glia that cover the ventricular walls of the hypothalamus, are in contact with CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), the capillaries of the arcuate nucleus and adjacent neurons; this would be expected for a system that can detect and communicate changes in glucose concentration. Here, we demonstrated by Western-blot analysis, QRT-PCR [quantitative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR)] and in situ hybridization that GK is expressed in tanycytes. Confocal microscopy and immuno-ultrastructural analysis revealed that GK is localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of beta1-tanycytes. Furthermore, GK expression increased in these cells during the second week of post-natal development. Based on this evidence, we propose that tanycytes mediate, at least in part, the mechanism by which the hypothalamus detects changes in glucose concentrations.
Palabras clave
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; DIG, digoxigenin; DTT, dithiothreitol; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; GK, glucokinase; GKRP, GK regulatory protein; GLUT2, glucose transporter 2; RTPCR, reverse transcriptionPCR; TFIIB, transcription factor IIB; arcuate nucleus; brain; glia; glucokinase; glucosensing; tanycyte
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Regulación Enzimológica de la Expresión Génica
/
Neuroglía
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Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica
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Glucoquinasa
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Hipotálamo
Idioma:
En
Revista:
ASN Neuro
Asunto de la revista:
NEUROLOGIA
/
QUIMICA
Año:
2010
Tipo del documento:
Article