Gene expression of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 4 subunit in the frontal cortex in Parkinson's disease patients.
Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is accompanied by a marked decrease of cerebrocortical nicotinic receptors. To study the putative site of impaired receptor synthesis, frontal cortices of Parkinson patients with cognitive dysfunction have been screened for the expression of the nicotinic receptor alpha 4 subunit gene. Quantitative assessment of alpha 4 mRNA-expressing neurons did not show significant differences between patients and controls. Therefore, decreased nicotinic receptor sites cannot be attributed to alterations at the transcriptional level of the alpha 4 gene. Alternative causes have to be searched for at the translational and/or postranslational level.
Schröder
H
H
Institut II für Anatomie, Universität zu Köln, Germany.
de Vos
R A
RA
Jansen
E N
EN
Birtsch
C
C
Wevers
A
A
Lobron
C
C
Nowacki
S
S
Schröder
R
R
Maelicke
A
A
D000368:Aged; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic