Caveolin-1 Localization in Muller Cells of the Retina

概要

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Novel caveolae proteins, caveolins, were found about a decade ago, and many new aspects of caveolae functions have since been uncovered. However, it remains elusive how caveolins function in ocular tissues, so we would like to address this issue. We conducted experiments in vivo and in vitro with immunohisto/cytochemistry and immunoblot. In vivo immunohistochemistry showed that caveolin-1 was expressed in Muller cells and corneal endothelial cells of the rat retina. Confocal double-labeling images demonstrated that caveolin-1 was colocalized with L-glutamate/L-aspartate transporter (GLAST) and glutamine synthetase (GS), confirming that caveolin-1 is expressed in Muller cells. With in vitro experiments, immunoblotting showed that cultured Muller cells express caveolin-1 and -2 but not -3, and immunocytochemistry demonstrated that caveolin-1 and -2 are differently localized in Muller cells. Moreover, caveolin-1 is exclusively co-localized with GLAST but not with GS in cultured Muller cells. These results in dicate the possibility that caveolin-1 may be associated with glutamate metabolism in the retina through Muller cells.
日本組織細胞化学会の論文