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Differential Localization of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels 1 and 2 in Human Cutaneus Pacinian Corpuscles

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Abstract

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are the members of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (Deg/ENaC) superfamily which mediate different sensory modalities including mechanosensation. ASICs have been detected in mechanosensory neurons as well as in peripheral mechanoreceptors. We now investigated the distribution of ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3 proteins in human cutaneous Pacinian corpuscles using immunohistochemistry and laser confocal-scanner microscopy. We detected different patterns of expression of these proteins within Pacinian corpuscles. ASIC1 was detected in the central axon co-expressed with RT-97 protein, ASIC2 was expressed by the lamellar cells of the inner core co-localized with S100 protein, and ASIC3 was absent. These results demonstrate for the first time the differential distribution of ASIC1 and ASIC2 in human rapidly adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, and suggest specific roles of both proteins in mechanotransduction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, C/Julián Clavería, s/n, 33006, Oviedo, Spain

    M. G. Calavia, O. García-Suárez, J. Feito, M. del Valle, P. Pérez-Piñera & J. A. Vega

  2. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica “San Antonio”, Murcia, Spain

    J. A. Montaño

  3. Servicio de Proceso de Imágenes, Servicios Científico-Técnicos, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

    M. A. Guervós

  4. Dipartimento di MOBIFIPA, Sezione di Morfologia, e CISS (Centro di Ittiologia Sperimentale per la Sicilia), Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy

    A. Germanà

  5. Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Médico-Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

    J. Cobo

  6. Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain

    J. Cobo

  7. IUOPA, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

    J. A. Vega

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  1. M. G. Calavia
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  2. J. A. Montaño
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  3. O. García-Suárez
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  4. J. Feito
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  5. M. A. Guervós
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  6. A. Germanà
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  7. M. del Valle
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  8. P. Pérez-Piñera
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  9. J. Cobo
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  10. J. A. Vega
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. A. Vega.

Additional information

M. G. Calavia and J. A. Montaño contributed equally to this paper.

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10571_2010_9511_MOESM1_ESM.jpg

Supplementary material—Legend for figure—Confocal laser-scanning images of ASIC2 (green) and RT-97 (red) in human Pacinian corpuscles. Left top: merge image of ASIC2 (green) and RT-97 (red) original image. Center top: merge image of ASIC2 (green) and RT-97 (red) covered by mask (white dots). Mask represents a region of interest draw on the cytofluorogram around the high red signal dots. Right top: merge image of ASIC2 (green) and RT-97 (red) after gamma correction of the green signal. Left bottom: 2D cytofluorogram from the two detection channels from the original image. Every dot of cytofluorogram represents an intensity value pair from the two detection channels. Red signal dots are not close to the Y-axis because the green signal has been acquired with high gain amplification than the red signal. A region of interest on the cytofluorogram around the high red signal dots had been drawn and it is represented as a mask (white dots) on the merge image (centre bottom). Right down: 2D cytofluorogram from the two detection channels after the green gamma correction. Red signal is now adjusted to the Y-axis and the region of interest shows not dots. There is no colocalization. (JPG 61 kb)

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Calavia, M.G., Montaño, J.A., García-Suárez, O. et al. Differential Localization of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels 1 and 2 in Human Cutaneus Pacinian Corpuscles. Cell Mol Neurobiol 30, 841–848 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9511-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9511-2

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