Localization of NADPH oxidase subunits in neonatal sympathetic neurons.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger programmed cell death in neonatal sympathetic neurons that have been deprived of nerve growth factor (NGF), however, the source of these oxygen intermediates has not been established. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), the intracellular distribution of the subunits of the ROS-generating enzyme NADPH oxidase was examined in sympathetic neurons of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Optical sectioning using LSCM showed that gp91-phox and p22-phox co-localize in neurons at the cell membrane, while the p47-phox and p67-phox subunits are found uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm of neurons maintained in the presence of NGF.