Increased expression of the embryonic intermediate filament, nestin, in the brains of scrapie-infected mice.
This study investigated the immunohistochemical localization of nestin and its expression level in the brains of mice infected with scrapie, a disease which is characterized by spongiform neurodegeneration, neuronal vacuolation, and astrogliosis. Western blot analysis showed that the protein level of nestin was significantly increased in scrapie-infected brains compared with those of control brains. Nestin immunoreactivity in vascular endothelial cells was more intense in the brains of scrapie-infected mice compared with those of controls. There was marked nestin immunostaining in reactive astrocytes, but not in the neurons of the scrapie-infected brains. Considering all the findings, this study suggests that the nestin-positive cells, including glial cells and vascular endothelial cells, may have the potential to differentiate into mature glial cells and other neuronal elements, which would replenish lost neurons.
Jin
Jae-Kwang
JK
Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Ilsong Building, Dongan-gu, Anyang 431-060, South Korea.
Jeong
Byung-Hoon
BH
Na
Yeo-Jung
YJ
Kim
Yong-Sun
YS
Carp
Richard I
RI
Wie
Myung-Bok
MB
Moon
Changjong
C
Shin
Taekyun
T
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012608:Scrapie / Q000378:metabolism*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger