Distribution of Equilibrative, Nitrobenzylthioinosine-Sensitive
Nucleoside Transporters (ENT1) in Brain |
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Authors: | Christopher M Anderson Wei Xiong Jonathan D Geiger James D Young Carol E Cass Stephen A Baldwin Fiona E Parkinson |
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Institution: | Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. |
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Abstract: | Nucleoside transport processes may play a role in regulating endogenous levels of the inhibitory neuromodulator adenosine in brain. The cDNAs encoding species homologues of one member of the equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT) gene family have recently been isolated from rat (rENT1) and human (hENT1) tissues. The current study used RT-PCR, northern blot, in situ hybridization, and 3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine autoradiography to determine the distribution of mRNA and protein for ENT1 in rat and human brain. Northern blot analysis indicated that hENT1 mRNA is widely distributed in adult human brain. 35S-labeled sense and antisense riboprobes, transcribed from a 153-bp segment of rENT1, were hybridized to fresh frozen coronal sections from adult rat brain and revealed widespread rENT1 mRNA in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus, granule neurons of the dentate gyrus, Purkinje and granule neurons of the cerebellum, and cortical and striatal neurons. Regional localization in rat brain was confirmed by RT-PCR. Thus, ENT1 mRNA has a wide cellular and regional distribution in brain, indicating that this nucleoside transporter subtype may be important in regulating intra- and extracellular levels of adenosine in brain. |
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Keywords: | Adenosine Adenosine transport Nucleoside transport ENT1 es nucleoside transport In situ hybridization RT-PCR Nitrobenzylthioinosine |
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