title: Expression and function of psoriasin (S100A7) and koebnerisin (S100A15) in the brain.
abstract: The expression and function of psoriasin in the brain have been insufficiently characterized. Here, we show the induction of psoriasin expression in the central nervous system (CNS) after bacterial and viral stimulation. We used a pneumococcal meningitis in vivo model that revealed S100A15 expression in astrocytes and meningeal cells. These results were confirmed by a cell-based in vivo assay using primary rat glial and meningeal cell cultures. We investigated psoriasin expression in glial and meningeal cells using polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA that mimics viral infection. Furthermore, previous results showed that antimicrobial peptides have not only bactericidal but also immunomodulatory functions. To test this statement, we used recombinant psoriasin as a stimulus. Glial and meningeal cells were treated with recombinant psoriasin at concentrations from 25 to 500 ng/ml. Treated microglia and meningeal cells showed phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1)/ERK2 (ERK1/2) signal transduction pathway. We demonstrated that this activation of ERK depends on RAGE, the receptor for advanced glycation end products. Furthermore, microglia cells treated with recombinant psoriasin change their phenotype to an enlarged shape. In conclusion, our results indicate an occurrence of psoriasin in the brain. An involvement of psoriasin as an antimicrobial protein that modulates the innate immune system after bacterial or viral stimulation is possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podschun
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Leib
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grötzinger
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oestern
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michalek
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pufe
authors.forename: Lars-Ove
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Brandenburg
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins; C089242:S100A7 protein, human; C510475:S100A7A protein, human