An immunochemical analysis of the distribution of a brain-specific polypeptide, PEP-19.
Immunochemical and immunohistochemical techniques were used to map the tissue distribution and cellular localization of a rat brain-specific polypeptide, termed PEP-19. PEP-19 was found to be abundant in the cerebellum and olfactory bulbs but was present at much lower levels in other gross brain regions. It was undetectable in all nonneural tissues examined but was present in the cerebellum of several vertebrates, including rat, mouse, guinea pig, monkey, and human. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PEP-19 was localized to the soma, axon, and dendritic processes of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells with no demonstrable immunoreactivity in nonneuronal cell types. Furthermore, mutant mice showing degeneration of Purkinje cells exhibit markedly decreased levels of PEP-19. Because PEP-19 appears during the final stages of maturation of Purkinje cells, it may be utilized as a probe to monitor the development of these neurons in vivo.
Ziai
M R
MR
Department of Neurosciences, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, NJ 07110.
Sangameswaran
L
L
Hempstead
J L
JL
Danho
W
W
Morgan
J I
JI
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000032:analysis; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000032:analysis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000032:analysis; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000032:analysis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D012453:Saimiri; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C489091:Pcp4 protein, mouse; C489090:Pcp4 protein, rat; C050394:PCP4 protein, human