NR AXSV
AU Moleres,F.J.; Velayos,J.L.
TI The Neurochemical Partners of PrPc in the Rat Brain
QU International Conference - Prion 2007 (26.-28.9.2007) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Book of Abstracts: Pathology and Pathogenesis P03.09
IA http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion Book of Abstracts.pdf
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB
The cellular prion protein (PrPc) is a membrane-bound glycoprotein abundantly expressed in neurons and glial cells within the CNS. The scrapie prion protein (PrPsc) is a conformationally-altered isoform of PrPc that is responsible for prion diseases, also termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), a group of neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide variety of mammal species, including humans. The presence of the cellular isoform of PrP is necessary for the establishment and further evolution of prion diseases and the physiological conditions where PrPc is present seem to modulate the alterations in TSE brains.
In this work, we have examined the presence of PrPc in GABAergic, glutamatergic, nitrergic, cholinergic, serotoninergic and orexinergic cells within the rat brain.
Our observations show that PrPc is widely expressed in neurons that contain markers for inhibitory populations of cells throughout the rat brain. Within the cerebral cortex, PrPc is not predominantly located in the subset of GABAergic cells that contain the laminin receptor precursor (LRP) -a protein involved in prion pathogenesis- suggesting that an LRP-independent mechanism actively participate during the pathogenic process.
The coexistence of PrPc with other non-GABAergic neurotransmitters in several cell types is in agreement with the imbalances reported in several forms of animal and human TSE.
Taken together, our data demonstrate that the investigation of the chemical nature of the PrPc-containing cells gives a rationale basis for the interpretation of the histopathological alterations in TSE and might help analyze some pathogenic mechanisms of PrPsc.
AD F.J. Moleres, J.L. Velayos, University of Navarra, Department of Anatomy, Spain
SP englisch
PO Schottland