Objective. To use an immunohistochemical method to study glutamine synthetase (GS)-synthesizing brain cells. Materials and methods. Enzyme was detected on frontal rat brain sections (n = 10) using mouse monoclonal antibodies. Specimens were analyzed by light and confocal laser microscopy. Results. GS was found to be expressed in all areas of the brain, mainly by two types of cells, with different structures and topographies. The main type of cell with immunopositive reactions to glial fibrillary acidic protein were identical to astrocytes. The other structural and locational type of cell differed from typical astrocytes. Conclusions. The data obtained here provide evidence that GS is not a selective marker for any particular population of rat brain cells.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
D. E. Korzhevskii, E. G. Sukhorukova, E. G. Gilerovich, et al., “Advantages and disadvantages of zinc-ethanol-formaldehyde as a fixative for immunocytochemical studies and confocal laser microscopy,” Morfologiya, 143, No. 2, 81–85 (2013).
E. G. Sukhorukova, D. E. Korzhevskii, and O. S. Alekseeva, “Glial fibrillary acidic protein: the component of intermediate filaments in the vertebrate brain astrocytes,” Zh. Evolyuts. Biokhim. Fiziol., 51, No. 1, 1–10 (2015).
E. Anlauf and A. Derouiche, “Glutamine synthetase as an astrocytic marker: its cell type and vesicle localization,” Front. Endocrinol. (Lausanne), 4, No. 144, 1–5 (2013).
L. K. Bak, A. Schousboe, and H. S. Vaagepetersen, “The glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle: aspects of transport, neurotransmitter homeostasis and ammonia transfer,” J. Neurochem., 98, No. 3, 641–653 (2006).
H.-G. Bernstein, J. Bannier, G. Meyer-Lotz, et al., “Distribution of immunoreactive glutamine synthetase in the adult human and mouse brain. Qualitative and quantitative observations with special emphasis on extra-astroglial protein localization,” J. Chem. Neuroanat., 61–62, 33–50 (2014).
W. Cammer, “Glutamine synthetase in the central nervous system is not confined to astrocytes,” J. Neuroimmunol., 26, 173–178 (1990).
F. D’Amelio, L. F. Eng, and M. A. Gibbs, “Glutamine synthetase immunoreactivity is present in oligodendroglia of various regions of the central nervous system,” Glia, 3, No. 5, 335–341 (1990).
S. P. Fernandes, R. Dringen, A. Lawen, and S. R. Robinson, “Neurones express glutamine synthetase when deprived of glutamine or interaction with astrocytes,” J. Neurochem., 114, No. 5, 1527–1536 (2010).
L. Hertz and H. R. Zielke, “Astrocytic control of glutamatergic activity: astrocytes as stars of the show,” Trends Neurosci., 27, No. 12, 735–743 (2004).
D. E. Korzhevskii, E. G. Sukhorukova, O. V. Kirik, and I. P. Grigorev, “Immunohistochemical demonstration of specific antigens in the human brain fixed in zinc-ethanol-formaldehyde,” Eur. J. Histochem., 59, No. 3, 5–9 (2015).
M. D. Norenberg and A. Martinez-Hernandez, “Fine structural localization of glutamine synthetase in astrocytes of rat brain,” Brain Res., 161, No. 2, 303–310 (1979).
C. F. Rose, A. Verkhratsky, and V. Parpura, “Astrocyte glutamine synthetase: pivotal in health and disease,” Biochem. Soc. Trans., 41, No. 6, 1518-1524 (2013).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Morfologiya, Vol. 152. No. 6, pp. 7–10, November–December, 2017. Original article submitted October 13, 2016.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sukhorukova, E.G., Gusel’nikova, V.V. & Korzhevskii, D.E. Glutamine Synthetase in Rat Brain Cells. Neurosci Behav Physi 48, 890–893 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-018-0644-y
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-018-0644-y