Sz. Meng et al., A DEVELOPMENTAL EXPRESSION OF AMPA-SELECTIVE GLUTAMATE-RECEPTOR SUBUNITS IN HUMAN BASAL GANGLIA, Brain & development, 19(6), 1997, pp. 388-392
The development of AMPA-selective glutamate receptors (GluR1 and GluR2
-3) in human basal ganglia (BG) was investigated in 23 normal brains b
y means of an immunohistochemical method. Immunoreactivity to GluR1 an
d 2-3 was detected in the cytoplasm and dendrites of small and large n
eurons in the BG. GluR2-3 immunoreactivity-positive neurons were clear
ly observed at 23-24 gestational weeks (GW) in the globus pallidus and
at 32 GW in the neostriatum, and reached a peak at 32 GW and 39 GW, r
espectively. GluR2-3 positive neurons in the BG began to decrease at 1
-4 months of age, reaching the low level of adults by 7 months of age.
The developmental pattern of GluR1 was similar to that of GluR2-3 in
the BG, but the immunoreactivity to GluR1 was a little weaker than tha
t of GluR2-3 in the neostriatum. Furthermore, GluR1 and 2-3 subunit We
stern blotting confirmed the specificity of the immunohistochemistry.
Our results suggest that the development of GluR1 and 2-3 in the BG is
consistent with neuronal development in the BG, which supports furthe
r that GluR1 and 2-3 play an important role in neuronal differentiatio
n and maturation of the BG. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.