Wako Catalog No. 011-22631 (50 μL)
Pikachurin
Retinal photoreceptors transfer information to bipolar and horizontal cells at a specialized
synapse, the ribbon synapse.
Lately, pikachurin,
an extracellular matrix-like retinal protein was identified, and it observed that it localized to
the synaptic cleft in the photoreceptor ribbon synapse.
Reference:
Sato, A. , Furukawa, T., et al.: "Pikachurin, a dystroglycan ligand, is essential for photoreceptor
ribbon synapse formation", Nature Neurosci., 11, 923 (2008).
Application
Immunostaining of mouse outer plexiform layer of the retina (Red: Pikachurin protein)
Top part of Pikachurin: Photoreceptor cells
Lower part of Pikachurin: bipolar cells
Fixation: with 4 % Paraformaldehyde (for 10 minutes)
Primary Antibody: Anti Mouse Pikachurin, Rabbit
(Wako Cat. No. 011-22631) (1 : 1,000) (for 4 hr. at RT)
Secondary Antibody: Anti-rabbit IgG Alexa Fluor 546
(1 : 500) (for 2 hr. at RT)
Data was provided by Takahisa Furukawa at Osaka Bioscience Institute (Japan)
Features
Relating to Alterations in Synaptic Signal Transmission
and Visual Function:
Pikachurin null-mutant mice showed improper
apposition of the bipolar cell dendritic tips to the photoreceptor ribbon
synapses, resulting in alterations in synaptic signal transmission and
visual function.
Interactions between Pikachurin and Dystroglycan Relating to Muscular Dystrophy: Pikachurin colocalized with both dystrophin and dystroglycan at the ribbon synapses. Furthermore, direct biochemical interactions between pikachurin and dystroglycan were observed. Together, this results identify pikachurin as a dystroglycan-interacting protein and demonstrate that it has an essential role in the precise interactions between the photoreceptor ribbon synapse and the bipolar dendrites. This may also advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the retinal electrophysiological abnormalities observed in muscular dystrophy patients.
Research for Photoreceptor Cell Regeneration: Ophthalmic regeneration medicine requires remodeling functional photoreceptor cells such as ribbon synapse. In the study, normally-functioning pikachurin is one of the key points. important
