Ablation of α₂δ-1 inhibits cell-surface trafficking of endogenous N-type calcium channels in the pain pathway in vivo.

ABSTRACT: The auxiliary α₂δ calcium channel subunits play key roles in voltage-gated calcium channel function. Independent of this, α₂δ-1 has also been suggested to be important for synaptogenesis. Using an epitope-tagged knockin mouse strategy, we examined the effect of α₂δ-1 on Ca_V2.2 localization in the pain pathway in vivo, where Ca_V2.2 is important for nociceptive transmission and α₂δ-1 plays a critical role in neuropathic pain. We find Ca_V2.2 is preferentially expressed on the plasma membrane of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive small nociceptors. This is paralleled by strong presynaptic expression of Ca_V2.2 in the superficial spinal cord dorsal horn. EM-immunogold localization shows Ca_V2.

SUBMITTER: Nieto-Rostro M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6305000 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature