title: Characterization of Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein transcripts in platelets and megakarocytes.
abstract: Immunoblot analyses indicate that the platelet is a reservoir of several Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein (APP) isoforms, including C-terminal reactive species which could potentially serve as the precursor of the amyloid beta protein (AB*) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since platelets are known to sequester several plasma proteins from the blood, we employed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify reverse transcribed mRNA and detect the 3 major APP transcripts (APP695,751,770) in platelets and the Dami megakaryocyte cell line. PCR amplification of glycoprotein IIb and HLA-DR mRNA was used to demonstrate that APP transcripts were derived from cells of megakaryocytic lineage, and the results were compared with those obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, B lymphocyte and astrocytoma cell lines. The identity of PCR products was confirmed by hybridization with APP specific oligonucleotide probes, and sequencing of amplified segments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gardella
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Gorgone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frangione
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gorevic
mesh_terms: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes