Abstract
It is known that phosphatidylinositol phosphate 5 kinase (PIP5K) γ and phospholipase C (PLC) β3, working sequentially in the phosphoinositide cycle, are localized in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) somata and are involved in the regulation of pain and related sensations. However, the sites of their involvement have remained to be clarified. In the present study, immunoreactivity for PLCβ3 was distinct only in the central process of mouse DRG, but not in its peripheral process, in contrast to distinct PIP5Kγ-immunoreactivity in both peripheral and central DRG processes. No nerve terminals showing immunoreactivity for PLCβ3 were detected in any peripheral sensory fields, similar to PIP5Kγ-immunoreactivity. In DRG somata, PIP5Kγ-immunoreactivity was rather confined to the neurolemma in which dots and threads were discerned in 3D bright field light microscopy. This feature well corresponded to its discontinuous localization along the plasma membranes in immuno-electron microscopy. In contrast, PLCβ3-immunoreactivity occurred diffusely throughout the somata, but did not take distinct appearance of immunoreaction on neurolemma or plasma membranes, unlike PIP5Kγ-immunoreactivity. In addition, satellite glial cells were immunonegative for PLCβ3, but immunopositive for PIP5Kγ. The involvement of PLCβ3 in regulation of pain and related sensations is thus suggested to be mainly exerted at levels of the DRG soma and its upstream, but to be less significant in the peripheral sensory fields, similar to PIP5Kγ. The possibility is also suggested that PIP, PIP5Kγ-target, is localized heterogeneously, but PIP2, PLCβ3-target, is localized homogenously over the plane of the neuronal plasma membranes. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: PIP5Kγ, different from PLCβ3, was localized heterogeneously on neuronal membranes, and this difference was demonstrated in 3D-bright field immuno-light and electron microscopy. Either PIP5Kγ or PLCβ3 was not detected in peripheral nerve terminals.