2025/05/06 by Davis, TH, Chen, C, Isom, LL
#Animals #Blotting #Brain #Cell Line #Cerebellum #Cricetinae #Fluorescence #Immunohistochemistry #Inbred C57BL #Ion Channels #Messenger #Mice #Microscopy #Models #Molecular #Neurons #Northern #Protein Structure #RNA #Rats #Signal Transduction #Sodium Channels #Tertiary #Transfection #Transgenic #Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel beta-1 Subunit #Western
paper · doi:10.7302/25467
Many immunoglobulin superfamily members are integral in development through regulation of processes such as growth cone guidance, cell migration, and neurite outgrowth. We demonstrate that homophilic interactions between voltage-gated sodium channel β1 subunits promote neurite extension in cerebellar granule neurons. Neurons isolated from wild-type or β1(-/-) mice were plated on top of parental, mock-, or β1-transfected fibroblasts. Wild-type neurons consistently showed increased neurite length when grown on β1-transfected monolayers, whereas β1(-/-) neurons showed no increase compared with control conditions. β-Mediated neurite extension was mimicked using a soluble β1 extracellular domain and was blocked by antibodies directed against the β1 extracellular domain. Immunohistochemical analysis suggests that the β1 and β4 subunits, but not β2 and β3, are expressed in cerebellar Bergmann glia as well as granule neurons. These results suggest a novel role for β1 during neuronal development and are the first demonstration of a functional role for sodium channel β subunit-mediated cell adhesive interactions.