title: Alzheimer's disease modifies progenitor cell expression of monoamine oxidase B in the subventricular zone.
abstract: In the adult brain, progenitor cells remaining in the subventricular zone (SVZ) are frequently identified as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells that retain attributes reminiscent of radial glia. Because the very high expression of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in the subventricular area has been related to epithelial and astroglial expression, we sought to ascertain whether it was also expressed by progenitor cells of human control and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. In the SVZ, epithelial cells and astrocyte-like cells presented rich MAO-B activity and immunolabeling. Nestin-positive cells were found in the same area, showing a radial glia-like morphology. When coimmunostaining and confocal microscopy were performed, most nestin-positive cells showed MAO-B activity and labeling. The increased progenitor activity in SVZ proposed for AD patients was confirmed by the positive correlation between the SVZ nestin/MAO-B ratio and the progression of the disease. Nestin/GFAP-positive cells, devoid of MAO-B, can represent a distinct subpopulation of an earlier phase of maturation. This would indicate that MAO-B expression takes place in a further step of nestin/GFAP-positive cell differentiation. In the early AD stages, the discrete MAO-B reduction, different from the severe GFAP decrease, would reflect the capacity of this population of MAO-B-positive progenitor cells to adapt to the neurodegenerative process.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gimeno-Bayon
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pujadas
authors.forename: Ellen E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Billett
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahy
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase