Alfonso Cepeda-Emiliani, María Otero-Alén, Tomás García-Caballero, Rosalía Gallego, Lucía García-Caballero
{"title":"The Human Mechanosensory Corpuscles: A New Schwann Cell Localization of the Wilms' Tumor Protein WT1.","authors":"Alfonso Cepeda-Emiliani, María Otero-Alén, Tomás García-Caballero, Rosalía Gallego, Lucía García-Caballero","doi":"10.1369/00221554251338066","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>SummaryThe Wilms' Tumor protein WT1 is a zinc-finger transcription factor with crucial roles in organogenesis, cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and oncogenesis. While its expression has been extensively studied in various tissues, its presence in the nervous system, particularly in peripheral glial cells, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we examined WT1 expression in the Schwann cells of mechanosensory corpuscles, nerve bundles, and free nerve endings (FNEs) within human penile tissues. Using single and double immunohistology, we analyzed WT1 coexpression with Schwann cell markers (S100, nestin, SOX10) and its association with axonal (neurofilaments, neuron-specific enolase, tyrosine hydroxylase) and perineurial/endoneurial markers (Glut-1, α-SMA, CD34). We found consistent WT1 cytoplasmic expression in the Schwann cells of Pacinian, Meissner, Krause, genital, Golgi-Mazzoni, and Ruffini-like corpuscles, with variable staining intensity. Confocal microscopy revealed WT1 colocalized with nestin but not S100, suggesting involvement in cytoskeletal organization. In addition, we documented WT1 in myelinating Schwann cells of nerve bundles, with distinct staining patterns in Cajal bands and Schmidt-Lanterman incisures, as well as in non-myelinating Schwann cells of FNEs. This is the first study to describe WT1 expression in sensory corpuscles, implicating it in Schwann cell development, maintenance, or plasticity, with potential relevance for peripheral nerve biology, pathology, and mechanosensation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"221554251338066"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12092412/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1369/00221554251338066","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"CELL BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
SummaryThe Wilms' Tumor protein WT1 is a zinc-finger transcription factor with crucial roles in organogenesis, cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and oncogenesis. While its expression has been extensively studied in various tissues, its presence in the nervous system, particularly in peripheral glial cells, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we examined WT1 expression in the Schwann cells of mechanosensory corpuscles, nerve bundles, and free nerve endings (FNEs) within human penile tissues. Using single and double immunohistology, we analyzed WT1 coexpression with Schwann cell markers (S100, nestin, SOX10) and its association with axonal (neurofilaments, neuron-specific enolase, tyrosine hydroxylase) and perineurial/endoneurial markers (Glut-1, α-SMA, CD34). We found consistent WT1 cytoplasmic expression in the Schwann cells of Pacinian, Meissner, Krause, genital, Golgi-Mazzoni, and Ruffini-like corpuscles, with variable staining intensity. Confocal microscopy revealed WT1 colocalized with nestin but not S100, suggesting involvement in cytoskeletal organization. In addition, we documented WT1 in myelinating Schwann cells of nerve bundles, with distinct staining patterns in Cajal bands and Schmidt-Lanterman incisures, as well as in non-myelinating Schwann cells of FNEs. This is the first study to describe WT1 expression in sensory corpuscles, implicating it in Schwann cell development, maintenance, or plasticity, with potential relevance for peripheral nerve biology, pathology, and mechanosensation.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry (JHC) has been a pre-eminent cell biology journal for over 50 years. Published monthly, JHC offers primary research articles, timely reviews, editorials, and perspectives on the structure and function of cells, tissues, and organs, as well as mechanisms of development, differentiation, and disease. JHC also publishes new developments in microscopy and imaging, especially where imaging techniques complement current genetic, molecular and biochemical investigations of cell and tissue function. JHC offers generous space for articles and recognizing the value of images that reveal molecular, cellular and tissue organization, offers free color to all authors.