Effect of aging on neuroglobin expression in rodent brain.
Neuroglobin (Ngb), a recently discovered O2-binding heme protein related to hemoglobin and myoglobin, protects neurons from hypoxic-ischemic injury in vitro and in vivo. In immunostained mouse brain sections, we found widespread expression of Ngb protein in neurons, but not astrocytes, of several brain regions that are prominently involved in age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Western blots from young adult (3 month), middle-aged (12 month), and aged (24 month) rats showed an age-related decline in Ngb expression in cerebral neocortex, hippocampus, caudate-putamen, and cerebellum. Loss of this neuroprotective protein may have a role in increasing susceptibility to age-related neurological disorders.
Sun
Yunjuan
Y
Buck Institute for Age Research, 8001 Redwood Boulevard, Novato, CA 94945, USA.
Jin
Kunlin
K
Mao
Xiao Ou
XO
Xie
Lin
L
Peel
Alyson
A
Childs
Jocelyn T
JT
Logvinova
Anna
A
Wang
Xiaojuan
X
Greenberg
David A
DA
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern / Q000379:methods; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005914:Globins