Initiation and developmental dynamics of Wfs1 expression in the context of neural differentiation and ER stress in mouse forebrain.
Wolframin (Wfs1) is a membrane glycoprotein that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and regulates cellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. In pancreas Wfs1 attenuates unfolded protein response (UPR) and protects cells from apoptosis. Loss of Wfs1 function results in Wolfram syndrome (OMIM 222300) characterized by early-onset diabetes mellitus, progressive optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus, deafness, and psychiatric disorders. Similarly, Wfs1-/- mice exhibit diabetes and increased basal anxiety. In the adult central nervous system Wfs1 is prominent in central extended amygdala, striatum and hippocampus, brain structures largely involved in behavioral adaptation of the organism. Here, we describe the initiation pattern of Wfs1 expression in mouse forebrain using mRNA in situ hybridization and compare it with Synaptophysin (Syp1), a gene encoding synaptic vesicle protein widely used as neuronal differentiation marker. We show that the expression of Wfs1 starts during late embryonic development in the dorsal striatum and amygdala, then expands broadly at birth, possessing several transitory regions during maturation. Syp1 expression precedes Wfs1 and it is remarkably upregulated during the period of Wfs1 expression initiation and maturation, suggesting relationship between neural activation and Wfs1 expression. Using in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR we show that UPR-related genes (Grp78, Grp94, and Chop) display dynamic expression in the perinatal brain when Wfs1 is initiated and their expression pattern is not altered in the brain lacking functional Wfs1.
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Triin
T
Tekko
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise Street, 51014 Tartu, Estonia. Electronic address: kersti.lillevali@ut.ee.
Kersti
K
Lilleväli
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Hendrik
H
Luuk
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Silva
S
Sütt
Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise Street, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Competence Centre for Cancer Research, Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia.
Laura
L
Truu
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010 Tartu, Estonia.
Tiit
T
Örd
Institute of Mathematical Statistics, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia.
Märt
M
Möls
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Eero
E
Vasar
D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717248:Hspa5 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C114987:wolframin protein
Brain development; Grp; Synaptophysin; UPR; Wolframin