Immunohistochemical Visualization of Brain‐derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Rat Brain

Abstract

A purified polyclonal antibody preparation was made against recombinant brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in guinea pig and characterized for use in immunoassays and immunohistochemistry. The anti-BDNF antibodies specifically recognized BDNF in Western blots and immunoprecipitation. There was no cross-reactivity with the other known mammalian members of the neurotrophin family, nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin-4/5. In immunohistochemical analysis, the anti-BDNF recognized exogenous BDNF injected into the brain of rats, whereas no signal was obtained with the other neurotrophins. Preabsorption with native BDNF abolished the immunoreactivity in brain sections. These studies identify the anti-BDNF as a tool for immunocytochemistry and the development of an immunoassay. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed widespread neuronal localization of BDNF in many brain areas. BDNF was localized in all subpopulations of hippocampal neurons. The distribution in the hippocampus suggests localization in the cytoplasm of cell bodies and dendrites.

Hypothermic Reperfusion after Cardiac Arrest Augments Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Activation

“…In particular, TrkB immunoreactivity is localized to the dendritic fields of the pyramidal neurons (Lee et al, 1998), where ERK activation is most apparent after ischemia (Hicks et al, 2000b). Although BDNF immunoreactivity has been noted in both neuronal bodies and dendritic fields, immunohistochemistry cannot identify its site of release (Dugich-Djordjevic et al, 1995;Iritani et al, 2000).…”

A simple role for BDNF in learning and memory?

“…Thus consistently indicating that the regulation of BDNF activity is a correlate of hippocampal learning in vivo . Interestingly, BDNF protein presents its highest expression in the hippocampus, neocortex, cerebellum, striatum and amygdala (Dugich-Djordjevic et al, 1995; Kawamoto et al, 1996), all key brain areas responsible for cognitive functions. Its regulation by learning also extends to these brain regions.…”

Precocious development of parvalbumin-like immunoreactive interneurons in the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex of the fetal cynomolgus monkey

“…An enhancing effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the expression of PV might be hypothesized on account of the substantial decrease of PV expression and PV-LIR interneurons resulting from the disruption of the BDNF gene in the hippocampus and the striatum of the mutant mice (Jones et al, 1994;Altar et al, 1997). Favorable conditions for such a neurotrophic support are provided in the rat hippocampal formation by the precocious expression of BDNF in the pyramidal cells of the ammonic fields (Maisonpierre et al, 1990) and in the neurons providing the perforant path and the septohippocampal projections (Ernfors et al, 1990;Dugich-Djordjevic et al, 1995;Friedman et al, 1998;Furukawa et al, 1998), in parallel with the expression of BDNF receptor trkB by embryonic hippocampal interneurons (Ernfors et al, 1992, Altar et al, 1994Marty et al, 1996). Moreover, the release of BDNF might be enhanced by the giant depolarizing potentials that characterize the immature hippocampal networks similarly to the balanced effect in vitro of the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems (Zafra et al, 1991;Berninger et al, 1995).…”