Table 1.
Pericytes Markers | Other Cells Stained in the Brain | Comments | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|
Cytosolic markers | |||
α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin) |
vSMCs | Contractile and cytosketetal proteins; expression in brain pericytes along the micro-vessels is controversial. | [36, 38] |
RGS5 (regulator of G protein signaling 5) |
vSMCs | GTPase activating protein; involved inproliferation and recruitment of pericytes during angiogenesis. | [164] |
Desmin | vSMCs | Cytosketetal proteins. | [35] |
Membrane bound markers | |||
PDGFR-β(plateletderived growth factor receptor-beta) |
Neurons; neuronal progenitors | A tyrosine kinase receptor involved in important function of pericytes; most frequently used and best characterized. | [165] |
NG2 (neuron-glial 2) | vSMCs; neuronal progenitors, oligodendrocyte progenitors | Integral membrane chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan; broadly expressed in activated pericytes during development and in the adult under both physiological and pathological conditions. | [34] |
CD13 (aminopeptidasesN) | vSMCs; endothelium | Type II membrane zinc-dependent metalloprotease. | [166] |
Kir6.1 (potassium inwardly Rectifyingchannel) | vSMCs | ATP-sensitive potassium-channel; implicated in ion transport and intercellular signaling; highly expressed in brain pericytes. | [167] |
Transgenic markers | |||
NG2-DsRed | vSMCs; oligodendrocyte progenitors | BAC-transgene, reposited in the Jackson Laboratory, stock #008241. | [168] |
RGS5-GFP NG2-creER-eGFP |
vSMC vSMCs |
GFP+ pericytes co-expressed PDGFR-β and CD13, but not α-SMA. Reposited in the Jackson Laboratory, stock #008533. |
[85] [48] |
NG2/PDGFRβ-Cre-tdTomato | vSMCs | NG2-tdTomato line is inducible, whereas PDGFRβ-tdTomato line expressed tdTomato constitutively. | [32] |