title: Immunohistochemical studies on disabled-2 protein in the spinal cords of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Disabled-2 (Dab-2), an adaptor protein of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling, was studied in the spinal cords of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to evaluate the possible involvement of Dab-2 in the pathogenesis of EAE using Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. Western blot analysis showed that two isoforms (p96 kDa and p67 kDa) of Dab-2 were detected in the spinal cords of rats used as controls. Both isoforms of Dab-2 were significantly elevated in the EAE spinal cord at the peak stage of EAE (P<0.05) and declined at the recovery stage. However, only the p96 kDa isoform was markedly phosphorylated in the EAE spinal cord. Immunohistochemistry showed that Dab-2 and p-Dab-2 were detected in some vascular endothelial cells, glial cells, and some neurons in the rat spinal cords of normal and immunized CFA-alone controls. In EAE lesions, Dab-2 and p-Dab-2 were immunodetected in some inflammatory cells (mainly in ED1-positive macrophages and R73-positive T cells), while the enhanced immunoreactivity of Dab-2 in spinal cord cells suggested constitutive expression. Additionally, TGF-β1 immunoreactivity showed a similar expression pattern of Dab-2 in EAE lesions. These findings suggest that Dab-2 is transiently upregulated and phosphorylated (particularly the p96 kDa isoform) in EAE, a CNS autoimmune disease, and may be involved in TGF-β signaling.
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Jeju National University, South Korea.
authors: Meejung
authors: M
authors: Ahn
authors: Hanseul
authors: H
authors: Oh
authors: Wonho
authors: W
authors: Lee
authors: Heechul
authors: H
authors: Kim
authors: Changjong
authors: C
authors: Moon
authors: Taekyun
authors: T
authors: Shin
mesh_terms: D033942:Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D033942:Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport; C501404:Dab2 protein, rat; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta