title: Outer membrane protein C (OmpC) of Escherichia coli induces neurodegeneration in mice by acting as an amyloid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Involvement of the outer membrane protein C (OmpC) of Escherichia coli in neurodegeneration was investigated using a mouse model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OmpC formed protease-resistant fibres that exhibited the diagnostic features of an amyloid. The spectral shift in the Congo Red and the thioflavin T assays produced features similar to neurotoxic peptides. Intramuscular administration of OmpC in mice resulted in spongiform neurodegeneration of the brain through calcium-dependent apoptosis and also showed upregulation of apoptosis related genes. Immunolocalization of OmpC in brain demonstrated the direct involvement of the porin in neurodegeneration and formation of spongiform encephalopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated the ability of OmpC of E. coli to induce neurodegeneration in mice.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600028, India.
authors.forename: J Joseph
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sahaya Rajan
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600028, India.|Division of Neurophysiology, Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600034, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chinnappan Santiago
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600028, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singaravel
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurophysiology, Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600034, India. eriloyola@hotmail.com.|Deanship of Scientific Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. eriloyola@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ignacimuthu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018272:Porins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: C113724:OmpC protein; D018272:Porins; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Amyloids; Apoptosis; Bacterial porin; E. coli; Neurodegeneration; OmpC; Proteinase k-resistance; Spongiform encephalopathy