BMP6 expression in the adult rat central nervous system.

BMP6, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is known to be involved in many diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that BMP6 plays pivotal roles in the central nervous system (CNS), however, there's no information about the distribution of BMP6 in the adult CNS. Therefore, we investigated BMP6 expression in the CNS using immunohistochemistry. BMP6 was intensely expressed in most neurons and their axons. Furthermore, we found that oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and ependymal cells also express BMP6 protein. These data indicate that BMP6 is widely expressed throughout the adult CNS, and its abundant expression in the adult brain strongly supports the idea that BMP6 plays important roles in the adult brain.