Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: EC:2.7.7.48 (
transcriptase
)
9,479
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Autonomic neurotransmission is thought to occur via a loose association between nerve varicosities and smooth muscle cells. In the gastrointestinal tract ultrastructural studies have demonstrated close apposition between enteric nerves and intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-IM) in the stomach and colon and
ICC
in the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) of the small intestine. In the absence of
ICC
-IM, postjunctional neural responses are compromised. Although membrane specializations between nerves and
ICC
-IM have been reported, the molecular identity of these specializations has not been studied. Here we have characterized the expression and distribution of synapse-associated proteins between nerve terminals and
ICC
-IM in the murine stomach. Transcripts for the presynaptic proteins synaptotagmin, syntaxin, and SNAP-25 were detected. Synaptotagmin and SNAP-25-immunopositive nerve varicosities were concentrated in varicose regions of motor nerves and were closely apposed to
ICC
-IM but not smooth muscle. W/W(V) mice were used to examine the expression and distribution of synaptic proteins in the absence of
ICC
-IM. Transcripts encoding synaptotagmin, syntaxin, and SNAP-25 were detected in W/W(V) tissues. In the absence of
ICC
-IM, synaptotagmin and SNAP-25 were localized to nerve varicosities. Reverse
transcriptase
polymer chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry demonstrated the expression of postsynaptic density proteins PSD-93 and PSD-95 in the stomach and expression levels of PSD-93 and PSD-95 were reduced in W/W(V) mutants. These data support the existence of synaptic specializations between enteric nerves and
ICC
-IM in gastric tissues. In the absence of
ICC
-IM, components of the synaptic vesicle docking and fusion machinery is trafficked and concentrated in enteric nerve terminals.
...
PMID:Synaptic specializations exist between enteric motor nerves and interstitial cells of Cajal in the murine stomach. 1625 30
