title: Brain protein preservation largely depends on the postmortem storage temperature: implications for study of proteins in human neurologic diseases and management of brain banks: a BrainNet Europe Study.
abstract: The present study was designed to reveal protein modifications in control cases related with postmortem delay and temperature of storage in 3 paradigms in which the same postmortem tissue sample (frontal cortex) was frozen a short time after death or stored at 1 degrees C, 4 degrees C, or room temperature and then frozen at -80 degrees C at different intervals. No evidence of protein degradation as revealed with monodimensional gel electrophoresis and Western blotting was observed in samples artificially stored at 1 degrees C and then frozen at different intervals up to 50 hours after death. However, the levels of several proteins were modified in samples stored at 4 degrees C and this effect was more marked in samples stored at room temperature. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry further corroborated these observations and permitted the identification of other proteins vulnerable or resistant to postmortem delay. Finally, gel electrophoresis and Western blotting of sarkosyl-insoluble fractions in Alzheimer disease showed reduced intensity of phospho-tau-specific bands with postmortem delay with the effects being more dramatic when the brain samples were stored at room temperature for long periods. These results emphasize the necessity of reducing the body temperature after death to minimize protein degradation.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neuropatologia, Servei Anatomia Patològica, IDIBELL-Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona (IF), 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. 8082ifa@comb.es
authors.forename: Isidre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santpere
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arzberger
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boluda
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budka
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Limido
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parchi
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strammiello
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ströbel
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation; D014022:Tissue Survival / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins