Calcium-containing endosomes at oculomotor terminals in animal models of ALS. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Altered calcium homeostasis has been demonstrated in human spinal cord motor axon terminals of ALS patients, in spinal motor neurons of mutant SOD transgenic mice and following injection of ALS immunoglobulins. In all three paradigms oculomotor neurons are relatively spared. To explore mechanisms of selective resistance, we applied similar calcium localization techniques to terminals of oculomotor neurons in the two animal models. In both cases large vacuoles, which connect with the extracellular space, accumulated the majority of intracellular calcium, while terminals of vulnerable neurons (e.g. innervating interosseus muscle), which possess no such vacuoles, displayed evenly distributed calcium. These relatively unique membrane enveloped structures may permit neurons to control their cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration and contribute to selective resistance.

publication date

  • August 20, 1999

Research

keywords

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Calcium
  • Endosomes
  • Nerve Endings
  • Oculomotor Nerve

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0033588530

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/00001756-199908200-00019

PubMed ID

  • 10574366

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 10

issue

  • 12