title: Cellular prion protein in the bovine mammary gland is selectively expressed in active lactocytes.
abstract: The cellular prion protein (PrP(c)) is a highly conserved glycoprotein with a still enigmatic physiological function. It is mainly expressed in the central nervous system but accumulating data suggest that PrP(c) is also found in a broad spectrum of non-neuronal tissue. Here we investigated the cell-type-related PrP(c) expression in the bovine mammary gland by using immunohistochemistry (IHC), ELISA, Western blot, and real-time RT-PCR. Specific immunostaining of serial sections revealed that PrP(c) is selectively localized in mammary gland epithelial cells. Particularly strong expression was found at the basolateral surface of those cells showing active secretion. Results obtained by RT-PCR and ELISA complemented IHC findings. No correlation was found between the level of PrP(c) expression and other parameters such as age of the animals under study or stage of lactation.
authors.affiliation: Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstrasse 35 70599, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Didier
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steffl
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gareis
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Groschup
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller-Hellwig
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Märtlbauer
authors.forename: Werner M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Amselgruber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007774:Lactation; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D018621:PrPC Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018621:PrPC Proteins