Expression and Distribution of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator in Neurons of the Human Brain

The importance of the molecule cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is reflected in the many physiological functions it regulates. It is known to be present in epithelial cells of the lungs, pancreas, sweat glands, gut, and other tissues, and gene mutations of CFTR cause cystic fibrosis (CF). We studied the expression and distribution of CFTR in the human brain with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. This study demonstrates widespread and abundant expression of CFTR in neurons of the human brain. Techniques of double labeling and evaluation of consecutive tissue sections localized CFTR protein and mRNA signals to the cytoplasm of neurons in all regions of the brain studied, but not to glial cells. The presence of CFTR in central neurons not only provides a possible explanation for the neural symptoms observed in CF patients, but also may lead to a better understanding of the functions of CFTR in the human brain. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org. Please visit this article online to view these materials. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:1113–1120, 2009