Faculty Collaboration Database

Distribution of vesicular glutamate transporter mRNA in rat hypothalamus. J Comp Neurol 2002 Jul 01;448(3):217-29

Date

07/13/2002

Pubmed ID

12115705

DOI

10.1002/cne.10257

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0036642970 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   217 Citations

Abstract

Two isoforms of the vesicular glutamate transporter, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, were recently cloned and biophysically characterized. Both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 specifically transport glutamate into synaptic vesicles, making them definitive markers for neurons using glutamate as a neurotransmitter. The present study takes advantage of the specificity of the vesicular transporters to afford the first detailed map of putative glutamatergic neurons in the rat hypothalamus. In situ hybridization analysis was used to map hypothalamic distributions of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 mRNAs. VGLUT2 is clearly the predominant vesicular transporter mRNA found in the hypothalamus; rich expression can be documented in regions regulating energy balance (ventromedial hypothalamus), neuroendocrine function (preoptic nuclei), autonomic tone (posterior hypothalamus), and behavioral/homeostatic integration (lateral hypothalamus, mammillary nuclei). Expression of VGLUT1 is decidedly more circumspect and is confined to relatively weak labeling in lateral hypothalamic regions, neuroendocrine nuclei, and the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Importantly, dual-label analysis revealed no incidence of colocalization of VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNAs in glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 65-positive neurons, indicating that GABA neurons do not express either transporter. Our data support a major role for hypothalamic glutamatergic neurons in regulation of all aspects of hypothalamic function.

Author List

Ziegler DR, Cullinan WE, Herman JP

Author

William E. Cullinan PhD Adjunct Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Biomarkers
Carrier Proteins
Gene Expression Regulation
Glutamate Decarboxylase
Glutamic Acid
Hypothalamus
In Situ Hybridization
Male
Membrane Transport Proteins
Neurons
RNA, Messenger
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Synaptic Transmission
Synaptic Vesicles
Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1
Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2
Vesicular Transport Proteins