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Exp Neurobiol 2013; 22(4): 277-282
Published online December 30, 2013
https://doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.4.277
© The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences
Kyung Mee Choi1, Joo Yeon Kim1 and Younghwa Kim2*
1Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 136-705, 2Department of Emergency Medical Technology, College of Nursing and Public Health, Kyungil University, Gyeongsan 721-701, Korea
Correspondence to: *To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TEL: 82-53-600-5681, FAX: 82-53-600-5681
e-mail: yhkim01@kiu.kr
The location and morphology of astrocytes are known to contribute to their diversity, and this diversity is often associated with their selective functions. However, molecular markers for astrocyte subtypes are largely unknown. In this study, we found that the immunoreactivity for glycoprotein GPM6B (M6B-IR) is preferentially expressed in the astrocytes associated with ventricles or neurogenic regions of the adult mouse brain. In particular, M6B-IR in the neurogenic niche was confined to glial fibrillary acidic protein- or nestin-expressing neural stem cells. Furthermore, in the injury penumbra, reactive astrocytes expressing nestin also exhibited strong M6B-IR. These results reveal that GPM6B is a potential molecular marker for a subset of astrocytes, as well as for the injury-dependent activation of astrocytes.
Keywords: astrocytes, injury, M6B, nestin, neurogenesis, stem cells