C. Gotti et al., EXPRESSION OF ALPHA-BUNGAROTOXIN RECEPTOR SUBTYPES IN CHICK CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM DURING DEVELOPMENT, Journal of receptor research, 14(6-8), 1994, pp. 335-346
Chick central nervous system (CNS) expresses alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha
Bgtx) receptors. We have recently reported the purification and chara
cterization of two alpha Bgtx receptor subtypes, alpha 7 and alpha 7-a
lpha 8 from chick optic lobe (COL). In order to study whether other al
pha Bgtx receptor subtypes are present in other areas of the chick CNS
, as well as their developmental expression, we used anti-alpha 7 and
anti-alpha 8 subunit-specific antibodies to study alpha Bgtx receptors
at different developmental stages in COL, brain and retina. We found
that only the alpha 7 and alpha 7-alpha 8 subtypes are present at all
developmental stages in chick COL and brain, where they represent 90%
of all the alpha Bgtx receptors at embryonic day 19 and 1 day post hat
ching (D1). In chick retina, an alpha 8 subtype representing 50% of al
l alpha Bgtx receptors at D1 is present in addition to the alpha 7 and
alpha 7-alpha 8 subtypes, and the expression of this alpha 8 subtype
increases during neurodevelopment.