title: Changes in the expression of cytoskeletal proteins in the CNS of transferrin transgenic mice.
abstract: Apotransferrin injected intracranially into young rats has been shown in our laboratories to induce an early differentiation of oligodendroglial cells and an increased deposition of myelin. The expression of some myelin-specific proteins such as myelin basic protein (MBP) and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) and of their mRNAs were significantly increased in these animals. Also, in the cytoskeleton obtained from isolated myelin, it was found that several microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), particularly the stable tubule only peptide (STOP) and MAP 1B, as well as actin and tubulin were markedly increased. In the present paper, we compare the changes in expression of brain and myelin cytoskeletal proteins in a newly generated transferrin transgenic mouse (Tg), overexpressing the human transferrin gene, with the results obtained in aTf-injected rats. In the myelin cytoskeletal fraction of Tg mice there was a significant increase in the expression of MBP, tubulin, tau and STOP, similarly to what was previously found in the aTf-injected rats. Immunohistochemical studies showed that a variance with what occurs in the aTf-injected model, in which the above mentioned changes were limited to the corpus callosum, in the Tg mice the changes in expression of cytoskeletal proteins were observed in the various anatomical areas studied such as cerebral cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. There was also an increased expression of neurofilaments in the Tg animals, in contrast with results obtained in aTf-injected rats, suggesting that in the Tg mice, the continuous overexpression of Tf might also induce some neuronal changes. Changes in tau, total and acetylated tubulin and MAP 1B were observed in both neurons and OLGc. The increase in STOP was more significant in OLGc while the changes in MAP2 were exclusively found in neurons.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Química Biológica e Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biologicas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Marta
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guillou
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zakin
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pasquini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C491894:MAP6 protein, human; C113727:Map6 protein, rat; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C491893:Mtap6 protein, mouse; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D014168:Transferrin