Abstract
In this study, the first nestin isoform, Nes-S, was identified in neurons of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of adult rats. Nes-S cannot form filaments by itself in cytoplasmic intermediate filament-free SW13 cells. Instead, it co-assembles into filaments with vimentin when transfected into vimentin(+) SW13 cells, and with peripherin and neurofilament proteins when transfected into N2a cells. In primary DRG neurons, endogenous Nes-S co-assembles with peripherin and neurofilament proteins. The expression of Nes-S first appears in DRG at postnatal day 5 and persists to adulthood. Among the adult tissues we examined, the expression of Nes-S is restricted to the sensory and motor neurons. Finally, exogenous Nes-S enhances viability when transfected into N2a cells, and knockdown of endogenous Nes-S impairs the survival of DRG neurons in primary cultures. Taken together, Nes-S is a new neuronal intermediate filament protein that exerts a cytoprotective function in mature sensory and motor neurons.
Highlights
Nestin is a type VI intermediate filament protein widely used as neural stem cell marker
We report the first isoform of nestin, nestin short (Nes-S), from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons of adult rats
Triple labeling immunofluorescence microscopy of DRG tissue sections of adult rats with the mouse monoclonal Rat-401 anti-nestin antibody, as well as mouse monoclonal anti-neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NFH) and goat polyclonal antiperipherin, was performed because the sum of NFHϩ and peripherinϩ neurons represents the whole population of DRG neurons [59]
Summary
Nestin is a type VI intermediate filament protein widely used as neural stem cell marker. Many cytoplasmic IF genes, including keratins, vimentin, desmin, peripherin, glial fibrillary acid protein, and synemin, were reported to generate isoforms via alternative splicing or alternative translation [45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52] Both transitin, the avian nestin ortholog, and the other type VI IF gene synemin generate multiple alternatively spliced products [46, 53]. Nes-S cannot form filaments by itself, but can co-assemble with vimentin or neurofilament/peripherin proteins into IFs. Nes-S exerts a cytoprotective function when transfected into N2a cells, and knockdown of endogenous Nes-S impaired the survival of primary DRG neurons during prolonged cultures. Nes-S exerts a cytoprotective function when transfected into N2a cells, and knockdown of endogenous Nes-S impaired the survival of primary DRG neurons during prolonged cultures These results indicate that Nes-S may play a role in the survival of sensory and motor neurons of adult rats
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