NG2 GLIA-NEURONAL INTERACTION

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。西山博士的研究重点是研究一种名为NG2细胞的中枢神经系统细胞类型。NG2细胞的形态和功能与其他神经胶质细胞和神经元不同，我们称之为NG2细胞。一些NG2细胞分化为髓鞘少突胶质细胞，但它们也大量存在于成熟的大脑中。近年来，NG2胶质细胞已被证实与白质的Ranvier结和灰质的突触相联系。在白质和灰质中，NG2细胞已被证明通过AMPA型谷氨酸受体去极化，其方式与谷氨酸的定量囊泡释放一致。博士之间合作的总体目标。Nishiyama和Ellisman的团队将使用多尺度成像方法，通过仔细检查NG2细胞、星形胶质细胞和包括Ranvier突触和节点在内的神经元结构之间的三维关系，来了解这种新现象的形态学基础。为了在标本制备阶段（即细胞填充）促进细胞鉴定，Nishiyama博士的小组开发了两种转基因小鼠系：一种在NG2细胞（NG2- bac -DsRed小鼠）中特异性表达红色荧光蛋白DsRed，另一种在具有低水平胶质纤维酸性蛋白的星形胶质细胞亚群（GFAP: EGFP星形胶质细胞小鼠）中表达增强的绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP）。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The focus of Dr. Nishiyama's research is the study of a distinct CNS cell type called NG2 cells. The morphology and function of NG2 cells which we call NG2 cells are distinct from other glial cells and neurons. Some NG2 cells differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes, but they also exist abundantly in the mature brain. Recently, NG2 glia have been shown to contact the node of Ranvier in white matter and synapses in gray matter. In both white and gray matter, NG2 cells have been shown to depolarize via AMPA type of glutamate receptors in a manner that is consistent with quantal vesicular release of glutamate. The overall goal of the collaboration between Drs. Nishiyama and Ellisman's groups is to use multi-scale imaging methods to understand the morphological basis of this novel phenomenon by closely examining the three-dimensional relationship between NG2 cells, astrocytes, and neuronal structures including the synapse and node of Ranvier. To facilitate cell identification during the phase of specimen preparation (i.e. cell filling), Dr. Nishiyama's group has developed two transgenic mouse lines: one that expresses the red fluorescent protein DsRed specifically in NG2 cells (NG2-BAC-DsRed mice) and the other that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in a subpopulation of astrocytes with low levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP: EGFP astrocyte mice).