title: Expression of transferrin mRNA in the CNS of normal and jimpy mice.
abstract: Both the iron mobilization protein transferrin and iron itself are found predominantly in oligodendrocytes in the brain and consequently have been hypothesized to have a role in myelination. This study is designed to begin to understand the mechanism(s) that control the expression of transferrin at the gene level in the nervous system using a hypomyelinating murine mutant (jimpy mouse). With this animal model it is possible to determine if transferrin gene expression in the nervous system is dependent on the presence of a mature oligodendrocytic population. The results demonstrate that normally expression of the transferrin gene increases from postnatal day 5 to 22-25 and then levels off in the adult. In the jimpy mouse, the relative amount of transferrin gene expression is less than that of littermate controls at 5 days of age. Furthermore, transferrin gene expression does not increase with age beyond the level observed at postnatal day 5 in the jimpy mouse. It is concluded from this study that the majority of the transferrin mRNA in the mouse brain is expressed by and/or requires the presence of a mature oligodendrocytic population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Anatomy, Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey 17033.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008816:Mice, Jimpy / Q000378:metabolism*; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D009185:Myelin Proteins; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014168:Transferrin