Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury

Konnova, Elena A.; Deftu, Alexandru-Florian; Chu Sin Chung, Paul; Pertin, Marie; Kirschmann, Guylène; Decosterd, Isabelle; Suter, Marc R.

doi:10.3390/ijms242115559

Open AccessArticle

Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury

by

Elena A. Konnova

¹,

Alexandru-Florian Deftu

¹,

Paul Chu Sin Chung

¹

,

Marie Pertin

¹,

Guylène Kirschmann

¹

,

Isabelle Decosterd

^1,2,†

and

Marc R. Suter

^1,2,*,†

¹

Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland

²

Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15559; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115559

Submission received: 20 September 2023 / Revised: 16 October 2023 / Accepted: 18 October 2023 / Published: 25 October 2023

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Molecular Neurobiology)

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Abstract

Satellite glial cells (SGCs), enveloping primary sensory neurons’ somas in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), contribute to neuropathic pain upon nerve injury. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) serves as an SGC activation marker, though its DRG satellite cell specificity is debated. We employed the hGFAP-CFP transgenic mouse line, designed for astrocyte studies, to explore its expression within the peripheral nervous system (PNS) after spared nerve injury (SNI). We used diverse immunostaining techniques, Western blot analysis, and electrophysiology to evaluate GFAP+ cell changes. Post-SNI, GFAP+ cell numbers increased without proliferation, and were found near injured ATF3+ neurons. GFAP+ FABP7+ SGCs increased, yet 75.5% of DRG GFAP+ cells lacked FABP7 expression. This suggests a significant subset of GFAP+ cells are non-myelinating Schwann cells (nmSC), indicated by their presence in the dorsal root but not in the ventral root which lacks unmyelinated fibres. Additionally, patch clamp recordings from GFAP+ FABP7−cells lacked SGC-specific K_ir4.1 currents, instead displaying outward K_v currents expressing K_v1.1 and K_v1.6 channels specific to nmSCs. In conclusion, this study demonstrates increased GFAP expression in two DRG glial cell subpopulations post-SNI: GFAP+ FABP7+ SGCs and GFAP+ FABP7− nmSCs, shedding light on GFAP’s specificity as an SGC marker after SNI.

Keywords: GFAP; satellite glial cells; non-myelinating Schwann cells; nerve injury; dorsal root ganglion; neuropathic pain

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MDPI and ACS Style

Konnova, E.A.; Deftu, A.-F.; Chu Sin Chung, P.; Pertin, M.; Kirschmann, G.; Decosterd, I.; Suter, M.R. Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 15559. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115559

AMA Style

Konnova EA, Deftu A-F, Chu Sin Chung P, Pertin M, Kirschmann G, Decosterd I, Suter MR. Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023; 24(21):15559. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115559

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konnova, Elena A., Alexandru-Florian Deftu, Paul Chu Sin Chung, Marie Pertin, Guylène Kirschmann, Isabelle Decosterd, and Marc R. Suter. 2023. "Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24, no. 21: 15559. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115559

APA Style

Konnova, E. A., Deftu, A.-F., Chu Sin Chung, P., Pertin, M., Kirschmann, G., Decosterd, I., & Suter, M. R. (2023). Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(21), 15559. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115559

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Characterisation of GFAP-Expressing Glial Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglion after Spared Nerve Injury

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