Sodium Channel beta 1 Subunit Localizes to Axon Initial Segments of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons and Shows Regional Heterogeneity in Mouse Brain

Verena C Wimmer; Rosemary C Harty; Kay L Richards; A Marie Phillips; Haruko Miyazaki; Nobuyuki Nukina; Steven Petrou

Journal article

Sodium Channel beta 1 Subunit Localizes to Axon Initial Segments of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons and Shows Regional Heterogeneity in Mouse Brain

Verena C Wimmer, Rosemary C Harty, Kay L Richards, A Marie Phillips, Haruko Miyazaki, Nobuyuki Nukina, Steven Petrou

JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1002/cne.23715

Abstract

The β1 subunit of voltage-gated sodium channels, Nav β1, plays multiple roles in neurons spanning electrophysiological modulation of sodium channel α subunits to cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth. This study used immunohistochemistry to investigate Nav β1 subneuronal and regional expression. Nav β1 was enriched at axon initial segments (AIS) and nodes of Ranvier. Nav β1 expression at the AIS was detected throughout the brain, predominantly in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum. Despite expression of Nav β1 in both excitatory and inhibitory AIS, it displayed a marked and fine-grained heterogeneity of expression. Such heterogeneity could have important implications for the tuning of sin..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Steven Petrou Author Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health

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Grants

Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

Grant sponsor: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; Grant numbers: 400121 (to S.P.); fellowship 1005050 (to S.P.); and 1030016 (to V.C.W.); Grant sponsor: Victorian State Government infrastructure funds (to the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health).