抄録
We have previously shown in rat brain that ABCA2, which belongs to the A subclass of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily, is specifically expressed in the cytoplasm of myelin-forming oligodendrocytes in white and grey matter but not in non-myelin-forming, GFAP-positive astrocytes or CD11b-positive microglia. We also reported that ABCA2 is expressed in rat peripheral nerve, but the cell types of ABCA2-positive were not clarified. In addition, it is not known if ABCA2 is expressed in human nerve. Here we demonstrate that ABCA2 is expressed in human facial nerve cells that are either strongly positive or only weakly positive for the Ca2+-binding protein S100β. The former S100β-positive cells are Schwann cells. The latter ABCA2-positive/S100β-weakly positive cells may correspond to precursor satellite cells of rat peripheral nerve, which, as we reported previously, are round shaped and strongly positive for ABCA2 but only weakly positive for CNP. Cells that are S100β-positive but negative for ABCA2 also are present in human facial nerve. Since ABCA2 is not expressed in non-myelin-forming cells in brain, these cells may well be non-myelin-forming Schwann cells. These results suggest that ABCA2 might be used as a marker to differentiate non-myelin-forming and myelin-forming glial cells both in brain and peripheral nervous system. [Jpn J Physiol 54 Suppl:S88 (2004)]
