TY - JOUR
T1 - Gap-junctional coupling between neurons and astrocytes in primary central nervous system cultures
AU - Fróes, Maira M.
AU - Correia, Ana Helena P.
AU - Garcia-Abreu, José
AU - Spray, David C.
AU - Campos De Carvalho, Antônio C.
AU - Neto, Vivaldo Moura
PY - 1999/6/22
Y1 - 1999/6/22
N2 - Gap-junctional communication between neurons and astrocytes dissociated from rat brain was identified in culture by using dye-transfer assays and electrophysiological measurements. Cell types were identified by using antibodies against β-tubulin III, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide phosphohydrolase, which are antigenic determinants of neurons, astroglia, and oligodendrocytes, respectively. Dye coupling was examined as a function of time after dissociated embryonic brain cells were plated onto confluent monolayers of postnatal astrocytes by intracellularly injecting the fluorochrome Lucifer yellow. Coupling of neurons to the astrocytic monolayer was most frequent between 48 h and 72 h in culture and declined over the next 4 days. This gradual uncoupling was accompanied by progressive neuronal maturation, as indicated by morphological measurements in camera lucida drawings. Dye spread was abolished reversibly by octanol, an agent that blocks gap junction channels in other systems. Double whole-cell voltage-clamp measurements confirmed the presence of heterocellular electrical coupling in these cocultures. Coupling was also seen between neurons and astrocytes in cocultures of cells dissociated from embryonic cerebral hemispheres but was rarely detectable in cocultures of postnatal brain cells. These data strongly suggest that junctional communication may provide metabolic and electrotonic interconnections between neuronal and astrocytic networks at early stages of neural development and that such interactions are weakened as differentiation progresses.
AB - Gap-junctional communication between neurons and astrocytes dissociated from rat brain was identified in culture by using dye-transfer assays and electrophysiological measurements. Cell types were identified by using antibodies against β-tubulin III, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide phosphohydrolase, which are antigenic determinants of neurons, astroglia, and oligodendrocytes, respectively. Dye coupling was examined as a function of time after dissociated embryonic brain cells were plated onto confluent monolayers of postnatal astrocytes by intracellularly injecting the fluorochrome Lucifer yellow. Coupling of neurons to the astrocytic monolayer was most frequent between 48 h and 72 h in culture and declined over the next 4 days. This gradual uncoupling was accompanied by progressive neuronal maturation, as indicated by morphological measurements in camera lucida drawings. Dye spread was abolished reversibly by octanol, an agent that blocks gap junction channels in other systems. Double whole-cell voltage-clamp measurements confirmed the presence of heterocellular electrical coupling in these cocultures. Coupling was also seen between neurons and astrocytes in cocultures of cells dissociated from embryonic cerebral hemispheres but was rarely detectable in cocultures of postnatal brain cells. These data strongly suggest that junctional communication may provide metabolic and electrotonic interconnections between neuronal and astrocytic networks at early stages of neural development and that such interactions are weakened as differentiation progresses.
KW - Double whole-cell voltage clamp
KW - Glial-neuronal interactions
KW - Lucifer yellow
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.96.13.7541
DO - 10.1073/pnas.96.13.7541
M3 - Article
C2 - 10377451
AN - SCOPUS:0033594984
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 96
SP - 7541
EP - 7546
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 13
ER -