Immunohistochemical demonstration of the calcium channel α2 subunit in the chicken dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord: A special reference to colocalization with calbindin-D28k in dorsal root ganglion neurons

Heterogeneous expression of the voltage-gated calcium channel α2 subunit and the voltage-gated sodium channel α subunit in chicken spinal motoneurons

“…1A). These subunits were occasionally seen in small neurons in Lamina VIII, consistent with our previous report (12). Approximately 83% of the total ChAT-positive neurons (n = 520) from 37 fluorescence sections (Fig.…”

“…In contrast, α2δ1 mRNA was detected in only a few motoneurons (5). Because the VGCCα2 subunit is reserved as a common component in all types of VGCCs (19), we performed an immunohistochemistry using an antibody to the α2 subunit, which may allow broad identification of any type of VGCCs, and revealed the expression of the VGCCα2 subunit in chicken spinal neurons (12). Four types (Na v 1.1, Na v 1.2, Na v 1.3, and Na v 1.6) of voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) α subunits are expressed in the central nervous system (22).…”

Developmental Changes in Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel α₂δ-Subunit Expression in the Canine Dorsal Root Ganglion

“…Unbound secondary antibodies were removed by PBS rinses. The sections were then incubated with the ABC complex for 1 h. After repeated washes in PBS, the slides were covered with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Vector Laboratories) [2]. The sections were counterstained with hematoxylin and coverslipped routinely using a xylene-based mounting medium.…”

“…Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) are a class of cellular membrane receptors that represent the main current for calcium entry into excitable cells and that are responsible for the firing and propagation of action potentials in the nervous system through their influence on excitatory neurotransmitter release [1,2,3]. The receptors are heteromeric complexes with a pore-forming transmembrane α 1 subunit, an α 2 subunit, linked by disulfide bond to a δ subunit, which is anchored to the outer surface of the cellular membrane, a cytosolic β subunit and a transmembrane γ subunit [4].…”

“…These isoforms are expressed to a different extent in different tissues, suggesting that they play a role in tissue-specific tasks [6,7]. The α 2 δ subunit is mainly expressed in skeletal muscle, myocardium, Purkinje cells, habenulae, septal nuclei and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) [2,8]. The specific role of this subunit is to increase Ca 2 + influx through the presynaptic membrane.…”