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Immunohistochemical expressions of mGluR5, P2Y2 receptor, PLC-β1, and IP3R-I and -II in Merkel cells in rat sinus hair follicles

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Abstract

We previously found that Merkel cells (MCs) of the rat and monkey show a strong immunoreaction of the α-subunit of Gq protein. The Gαq-subunit isoform activates isozymes of phospholipase C-β (PLC-β), which produces inositol-(1,4,5)-triphosphate (IP3) which mobilizes intracellular Ca++ from calcium stores via IP3 receptors. Glutamate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are candidates for neurotransmitters in Merkel endings, are known to couple to Gαq. Although MCs showed positive immunoreactions of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in our preliminary study, these cells were not reactive to all antibodies to PLC-β isozymes. We, therefore, reinvestigated immunohistochemical affinities to MCs of antibodies to PLC-β isozymes and mGluRs using frozen sections of rat sinus hair follicles that were briefly postfixed in formaldehyde. We also studied the immunohistochemical expressions of P2Y receptors for ATP and IP3 receptor subtypes using similar sections. Merkel cells showed positive immunoreactions of PLC-β1 and mGluR5. It was also found that MCs show positive immunoreactions of P2Y2, IP3R-I, and IP3R-II receptors. These results suggest that the Gαq isoform in MCs couples to both the P2Y2 receptor and mGluR5 and regulates the intracellular Ca++ concentration via the PLC-β–IP3 cascade.

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Acknowledgements

This study was in part supported by a grant-in-aid for scientific research (number 14570024) and a grant-in-aid for Open Research Project from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Iwate Medical University, 020-8505, Morioka, Japan

    Tamiko Tachibana, Makoto Endoh, Ryo Kumakami & Tokio Nawa

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  1. Tamiko Tachibana
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  2. Makoto Endoh
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  3. Ryo Kumakami
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  4. Tokio Nawa
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Correspondence to Tamiko Tachibana.

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Tachibana, T., Endoh, M., Kumakami, R. et al. Immunohistochemical expressions of mGluR5, P2Y2 receptor, PLC-β1, and IP3R-I and -II in Merkel cells in rat sinus hair follicles. Histochem Cell Biol 120, 13–21 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-003-0540-5

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