Variations in prion protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNAs in the brain of scrapie-infected newborn mouse.
To begin to understand the molecular basis of cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease recently described in young children, the expression of prion protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNAs was investigated during the development of the brain of scrapie-infected newborn mice. Changes in the time course of expression were identified by Northern blot quantification between days 1 and 172. Although scrapie-infected and control animals showed no detectable changes in brain development (first 56 days of life), GFAP mRNAs were found to increase significantly as early as day 84. A 10-fold increase in the level of GFAP mRNA was observed in brain between day 112 and death (day 172).
Laboratoire de Neuropathologie Expérimentale, CRSSA, DSV/DPTE, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Fontenay aux Roses, France.
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F
Lazarini
J P
JP
Deslys
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D
Dormont
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000378:metabolism*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions; D012333:RNA, Messenger