Reelin-disabled-1 signaling in the mature rat cochlear nucleus.

Abstract

Conclusion: Immunohistochemical detection of Reelin in granular cells and disabled-1 in cochlear nucleus suggests a possible Reelin signaling pathway in mature rat cochlear nucleus.

Materials and methods: Six-week-old Wister rats were used throughout this study. The expression of reelin and disabled-1 were studied by using in situ hybridization technique and immunohistochemistry.

Results: Reelin mRNA expression was observed in granular cell layer of dorsal cochlear nucleus. Immunohistochemistry using anti-reelin monoclonal antibodies confirmed reelin expression in granule cells at protein level. We also examined disabled-1 expression in cochlear nucleus and observed positive immunoreactivity in both ventricular and dorsal cochlear nucleus. In the dorsal cochlear nucleus, fusiform and cartwheel cells were labeled. In the ventricular cochlear nucleus, relatively large cells were labeled with anti-disabled-1 polyclonal antibody but the subtypes of disabled-1 positive cells could not be identified.