Protein expression in the nucleus accumbens of rats exposed to developmental vitamin D deficiency.
BACKGROUND
Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia. Animal models have confirmed that DVD deficiency is associated with a range of altered genomic, proteomic, structural and behavioural outcomes in the rat. Because the nucleus accumbens has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, in the current study we examined protein expression in this region in adult rats exposed to DVD deficiency


METHODS
Female Sprague Dawley rats were maintained on a vitamin D deficient diet for 6 weeks, mated and allowed to give birth, after which a diet containing vitamin D was reintroduced. Male adult offspring (n = 8) were compared to control male (n = 8). 2-D gel electrophoresis-based proteomics and mass spectroscopy were used to investigate differential protein expression.


RESULTS
There were 35 spots, mapped to 33 unique proteins, which were significantly different between the two groups. Of these, 22 were down-regulated and 13 up-regulated. The fold changes were uniformly small, with the largest FC being -1.67. Within the significantly different spots, three calcium binding proteins (calbindin1, calbindin2 and hippocalcin) were altered. Other proteins associated with DVD deficiency related to mitochondrial function, and the dynamin-like proteins.


CONCLUSIONS
Developmental vitamin D deficiency was associated with subtle changes in protein expression in the nucleus accumbens. Disruptions in pathways related to calcium-binding proteins and mitochondrial function may underlie some of the behavioural features associated with animal models of developmental vitamin D deficiency.
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Richlands, Australia. john_mcgrath@qcmhr.uq.edu.au
John
J
McGrath
Takeshi
T
Iwazaki
Darryl
D
Eyles
Thomas
T
Burne
Xiaoying
X
Cui
Pauline
P
Ko
Izuru
I
Matsumoto
D000818:Animals; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins