Figure 4. OPN is expressed in human motor neurons and detectable as granular deposits in a SOD1-linked FALS case.
(a) OPN or SOD1 immunostaining in spinal cord ventral horn (L3 to L5) sections from a control or SOD1-linked FALS patient. OPN-positive signals were detected in the perikarya of motor neurons (control and FALS case) along with extracellular deposits in the FALS case. Both intracellular and extracellular SOD1 aggregates were detected in the FALS case. The boxed areas are enlarged in the inset panels. (b) Confocal analysis of OPN and SOD1 in the ventral spinal cord of the FALS case. The arrows indicate extracellular deposits positive for OPN/SOD1. Scale bar, 50 μm (a), 10 μm (inset in a), 20 μm (b).