Differential proteoglycan expression in two spinal cord regions after dorsal root injury

• Published in: Molecular and cellular neuroscience Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 315 - 327
• Main Authors: Waselle, Laurent, Quaglia, Xavier, Zurn, Anne D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers - metabolism; Brevican; Cell Division; Cell Proliferation; Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans - genetics; Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans - metabolism; Gliosis - metabolism; Gliosis - pathology; Humans; Lectins, C-Type - genetics; Lectins, C-Type - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nerve Regeneration - physiology; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neuroglia - cytology; Neuroglia - metabolism; Proteoglycans - genetics; Proteoglycans - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Spinal Cord - cytology; Spinal Cord - metabolism; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal Nerve Roots - injuries; Spinal Nerve Roots - metabolism; Spinal Nerve Roots - pathology; Versicans - genetics; Versicans - metabolism; Wallerian Degeneration - metabolism; Wallerian Degeneration - pathology
• ISSN: 1044-7431; 1095-9327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2009.08.004

Dorsal root injury leads to reactive gliosis in the spinal cord dorsal root entry zone and dorsal column, two regions that undergo Wallerian degeneration, but have distinct growth-inhibitory properties. This disparity could in part be due to differences in the number of degenerating sensory fibers, differences in glial cell activation, and/or to differential expression of growth-inhibitory molecules such as chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Laser capture microdissection of these two spinal cord white matter regions, followed by quantitative analysis of mRNA expression by real-time PCR, revealed that glial marker transcripts were differentially expressed post-injury and that the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans Brevican and Versican V1 and V2 were preferentially up-regulated in the dorsal root entry zone, but not the dorsal column. These results indicate that reactive gliosis differs between these two regions and that Brevican and Versican are potential key molecules participating in the highly inhibitory properties of the dorsal root entry zone.