1. ACTH occurrence in teleosts supramedullary neuron clusters: a neuron-glial common language?
- Author
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Laura Blasiol, Barbara Cuoghi, and Maria Agnese Sabatini
- Subjects
Nervous system ,endocrine system ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Cell type ,Pro-Opiomelanocortin ,Cell Communication ,Adrenocorticotropic hormone ,Biology ,Neurotransmission ,Endocrinology ,Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ,Neuromodulation ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Animals ,Cells, Cultured ,Cell Aggregation ,Neurons ,Medulla Oblongata ,Histocytochemistry ,Tetraodontiformes ,Brain ,Immunohistochemistry ,ACTH ,Microglia ,Supramedullary neurons ,Tetraodon fluviatilis teleost ,Peptide Fragments ,Cell aggregation ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,nervous system ,Neuroglia ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Neuron ,Neuroscience ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists - Abstract
The cross-talk between neurons and glia is receiving increased attention because of its potential role in information processing in the nervous system. We choose the cluster of supramedullary neurons (SN) and glial cells of pufferfish as a suitable model for studying neuron-glial interactions, identifying the implicated cell types and the signalling involved. In particular, among proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, adrenocorticotrope hormone (ACTH)-immunopositivity was found both in SN and in microglial cells. The present results for the first time show the presence of ACTH in microglia of a vertebrate. The role of ACTH is discussed, including its possible neuroprotective function. Moreover, SN immunoreactivity supports the idea that ACTH participates in neurotransmission and/or neuromodulation. In addition to these possible functions, the hypothesis is put forward that ACTH represents a common language by which neurons and glial cells communicate with each other.
- Published
- 2003