Changes in the pattern of expression of pp60c-src in cerebellar mutants of mice.
Cultures of neurons from rat embryos have been shown previously to express high levels of a unique form of pp60c-src [Brugge et al (1985): Nature 316:524-526], the cellular homologue of the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus. This altered form of pp60c-src, designated pp60c-src(+), displays a retarded electrophoretic mobility due to a structural alteration within the aminoterminal region of the molecule [Brugge et al, 1985]. In order to investigate the distribution and possible role of pp60c-src(+) in intact brain, we have examined the expression of pp60c-src(+) in extracts from developing cerebella from wild-type mice and mutant mice that display progressive degeneration of specific classes of cerebellar neurons. The loss of pp60c-src(+) generally correlated with the loss of granule cells and Purkinje cells from the cerebella of mice carrying the staggerer (sg/sg) and Lurcher (Lc/+) mutations, with the most pronounced changes observed in cerebella from the more severely affected sg/sg mice. The expression of pp60c-src(+) in weaver wv/wv mice is qualitatively and quantitatively quite different. From the earliest time points, there was a significant reduction in the levels of pp60c-src(+), with no further loss of this form during the period of maximal neuronal differentiation. This suggests an early, predegenerative absence of pp60c-src(+) in this mutant strain, which is defective in granule-cell migration.
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src); D009857:Oncogenes; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src)