NR ABSO
AU Brown,D.R.
TI Prion protein expression aids cellular uptake and veratridine-induced release of copper
QU Journal of Neuroscience Research 1999 Dec 1; 58(5): 717-25
PT journal article
AB The function of the prion protein is unknown despite suggestions it binds copper. Radioactive copper (Cu(67)) was used to demonstrate that histidine-dependent uptake of copper by cerebellar cells in culture is related to the level of PrPc expression. Copper is released by neurones at the synapse. Veratridine-induced release from synapses was proportional to the level of PrPc expression. Veratridine-induced release can be abolished only from PrPc expressing cells by pretreatment with phosphatidyl-specific phospholipase C, an enzyme that cleaves PrPc from the cell surface. These results suggest that PrPc aids cellular copper uptake and may have a function at the synapse related to release of copper during transmission.
MH Animal; Cells, Cultured; Cerebellum/cytology/metabolism; Copper/*pharmacokinetics; Copper Radioisotopes/diagnostic use; Cytosol/metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Neurons/metabolism; PrPc Proteins/*genetics/*metabolism; Precipitin Tests; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Time Factors; Veratridine/*pharmacology
AD Department of Biochemistry and MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom. drb@cam.ac.uk
SP englisch
PO USA