title: Induction of cell stress in neurons from transgenic mice expressing yellow fluorescent protein: implications for neurodegeneration research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mice expressing fluorescent proteins in neurons are one of the most powerful tools in modern neuroscience research and are increasingly being used for in vivo studies of neurodegeneration. However, these mice are often used under the assumption that the fluorescent proteins present are biologically inert.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we show that thy1-driven expression of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) in neurons triggers multiple cell stress responses at both the mRNA and protein levels in vivo. The presence of YFP in neurons also subtly altered neuronal morphology and modified the time-course of dying-back neurodegeneration in experimental axonopathy, but not in Wallerian degeneration triggered by nerve injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that fluorescent protein expressed in thy1-YFP mice is not biologically inert, modifies molecular and cellular characteristics of neurons in vivo, and has diverse and unpredictable effects on neurodegeneration pathways.
authors.affiliation: Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Lothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Laura H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Comley
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wishart
authors.forename: Becki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Lyndsay M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Ailish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nimmo
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Simon H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Parson
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Gillingwater
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D048430:Cell Shape; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria