Immunohistochemical markers for neurobiology

Abstract

In neurobiological studies, crucial is the selection of most appropriate and informative experimental methods, one of which is immunohistochemistry. This review briefly summarizes the experience of adaptation of immunohistochemical methods to nervous system studies accumulated over years the Laboratory of Functional Morphology of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System (Institute of Experimental Medicine). The aim of this work was to determine the most effective and reliable immunomarkers for neurobiological studies. The article contains theoretical basis and practical recommendations for use of key cytospecific and functional markers used in studies of structural and functional organization of brain and spinal cord of mammalian animals and human. In particular, the results of immunohistochemical reactions to neural markers (NeuN, neurofilament proteins, alpha-tubulin, alpha-synuclein), neurotransmitter synthesizing enzymes (tyrosine hydroxylase, glutamate decarboxylase, choline acetyltransferase, NO synthase) and glial markers (GFAP, glutamine synthetase, Iba-1, vimentin) are demonstrated. The presented methodology is useful for experimental neurobiology and clinical morphological diagnostics.