Expression of vesicular @entity2227 transporters in XXXX lumbar spinal cord, with a note on dorsal root ganglia.

@entity2227 @entity3862 @entity50334 @entity35 @entity3863
Three vesicular @entity2227 transporters (VGLUTs) have been recently identified and their distribution has been mapped in various brain areas. In the present study, we used morphological approaches to investigate their expression in the @entity35 lumbar spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Our results show a complementary distribution of VGLUT-expressing fibers in the spinal cord, with no overlapping in nerve endings. In the dorsal horn, @entity3862 is most abundant in mechanosensory/proprioceptive deep afferent fibers. @entity3863 and @entity50334 are expressed only at moderate levels in primary sensory afferent fibers and are not used by central projections of nociceptive neurons. @entity3862 and @entity3863 mRNAs are mainly segregated in superficial laminae but colocalized in deeper laminae. Weak expression of @entity50334 mRNA is only detected in deep laminae. The colocalization of @entity3862 and @entity3863 transcripts in most sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia is not in agreement with the clear segregation between the proteins in their spinal projections. Such a discrepancy suggests targeting mechanisms specific for each transporter and/or a distinct regulation of their translation. In the ventral horn, the expression of @entity3862 and @entity3863 mRNAs in motoneuron perikarya suggests the possible unexpected role of @entity2227 in the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. These results demonstrate the existence of different subpopulations of @entity2227 nerve terminals in the @entity35 lumbar spinal cord and suggest that functionally distinct subsets of excitatory glutamatergic neuronal networks are involved in sensory processing and motor control.
