CEREBRAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE B-36 VDAC PROTEIN IN RAT, COW AND MAN BRAIN - IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Polyclonal antiserum to a new voltage-dependent anion channel protein (B-36 VDAC) isolated during the purification of the GABA(A) receptor f rom bovine cerebral cortex was used to determine the localization of t his protein in immunocytochemical preparations of cerebral cortex, cer ebellum and hippocampal formation of rat, cow and human. The labeling was present in the Purkinje cells and some cells of the molecular laye r of the rat cerebellum, as well as in pyramidal and non-pyramidal cel ls of the rat and human cerebral cortex; the labeling outlined the mem brane surface. In the rat granule cells of the dentate gyrus and the p yramidal cells, the labelling was observed within the cells. These res ults indicate that the B-36 VDAC protein is heterogeneously distribute d among different cerebral regions in different species and suggest th at this protein would be associated with the alpha-1 subunit of the GA BA(A) receptor (benzodiazepine binding sites).