SPARC, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein containing the follistatin module, is expressed by astrocytes in synaptic enriched regions of the adult brain |
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Authors: | Duane B. Mendis Luc Malaval Ian R. Brown |
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Affiliation: | aDepartment of Zoology, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, West Hill, Ont., M1C 1A4, Canada;bINSERM, U403, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Lyon, France |
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Abstract: | Although extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins play important roles in neural development, their levels are generally believed to decrease in the adult brain. Immunohistochemical analysis indicates that the anti-adhesive ECM glycoprotein SPARC/osteonectin, which contains a follistatin ‘module’, is expressed in the adult rabbit nervous system. In the cerebellum, SPARC is present in Bergmann glia, with a strong signal along their radial fibres. SPARC, while enriched in membrane fractions, is not a transmembrane protein. In the hippocampus, colocalization of SPARC is observed in cells which express the astrocytic marker GFAP. The expression of SPARC by a subset of astrocytes, particularly in synaptic enriched areas, suggests a continuing role for the ECM in the adult brain. |
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Keywords: | Bergmann glia Immunohistochemistry Western blotting Astroglia |
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