AUDITORY AND VESTIBULAR SYSTEMSPolysialic acid and HNK-1 are expressed in the adult rat vestibular endorgansIsawa, Manami; Takumi, Yutaka; Hashimoto, Shigenari; Nakayama, Jun1; Usami, Shin-ichiCA Author Information Departments of Otorhinolaryngology 1Pathology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan CACorresponding Author: [email protected] Received 12 February 2004; accepted 31 March 2004 NeuroReport: July 19, 2004 - Volume 15 - Issue 10 - p 1575-1578 doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000134585.87335.0d Buy Metrics Abstract Polysialic acid (PSA) and human natural killer (HNK)-1 carbohydrate epitopes are expressed mainly in developing neurons but also in restricted areas, even in adulthood. In the present study, we demonstrated the expression of PSA and HNK-1 epitopes in adult primary vestibular afferent neurons. In addition, we confirmed the presence of two distinct polysialyltransferases, PST and STX, that form PSA, as well as two types of glucuronyltransferases, GlcAT-P and GlcAT-S involved in the biosynthesis of HNK-1 epitopes in the vestibular endorgans. These results combined suggest that both PSA and HNK-1 carbohydrate epitopes are synthesized and may have an important role in the adult peripheral vestibular endorgans. © 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
