title: Group I mGluR signaling in BSE-infected bovine-PrP transgenic mice.
abstract: Abnormalities of synapses and impaired synaptic transmission appear to be crucial in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Excitotoxic mechanisms have been postulated as a major cause of neurodegeneration in these conditions. In this line, previous studies have shown abnormal group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). In the present study, we have examined this pathway by western blotting in the cerebral cortex of bovine-spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected bovine-PrP transgenic mice at different days post-inoculation (dpi). Activation of post-synaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) promotes phospholipase Cbeta1 (PLCbeta1) activation which may activate, in turn, protein kinase C (PKC), which regulates gene expression. Densitometric analysis of the western blot bands revealed no differences in the protein levels of (mGluR1) through time, but demonstrated decreased levels of PLCbeta1 and protein kinase C delta (nPKCdelta) at 270dpi, at the time when mice showed neurological deficits accompanied by neuropathological changes and PrPres deposition in the brain. The present results show, for the first time impairment of the mGluR1/PLCbeta1/PKCdelta pathway signaling with disease-progression in a murine model of BSE.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neuropatologia, Servei Anatomia Patològica, IDIBELL-Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Spain.
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Mairena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: José Luís
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Albasanz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrachina
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Juan María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Isidre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D054799:Phospholipase C beta; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051745:Protein Kinase C-delta / Q000378:metabolism; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D011328:Prions; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C104077:metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1; D051745:Protein Kinase C-delta; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D054799:Phospholipase C beta