Galectin-3 expression is correlated with abnormal prion protein accumulation in murine scrapie

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2007-06, Vol.420 (2), p.138-143
• Main Authors: Jin, Jae-Kwang, Na, Yeo-Jung, Song, Joon-Ho, Joo, Hong-Gu, Kim, Seungjoon, Kim, Jae-Il, Choi, Eun-Kyoung, Carp, Richard I., Kim, Yong-Sun, Shin, Taekyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; Biomarkers - metabolism; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Galectin 3 - genetics; Galectin 3 - metabolism; Galectin-3; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Gliosis - metabolism; Gliosis - physiopathology; Human viral diseases; Infectious diseases; Macrophage; Macrophages - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microglia; Microglia - metabolism; Nerve Degeneration - etiology; Nerve Degeneration - metabolism; Nerve Degeneration - physiopathology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Plant Lectins; Prion disease; PrPSc Proteins - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Scrapie; Scrapie - metabolism; Scrapie - physiopathology; Up-Regulation - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the nervous system
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.04.069

To investigate the involvement of galectin-3 in the process of neurodegeneration in prion diseases, the expression and cellular localization of galectin-3 in the brain were studied in scrapie, a mouse model of prion disease. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses showed that the expression of galectin-3 protein and mRNA was induced in scrapie-affected brains, particularly at the time when the abnormal prion protein PrP Sc began to accumulate in the brains. Immunohistochemically, immunostaining for galectin-3 was found mainly in B4-isolectin-positive cells (presumably activated microglia/macrophages), but not in astrocytes. Galectin-3 immunoreactivity was localized mainly in areas of PrP Sc accumulation and neuronal death in scrapie-infected brains. These findings suggest that the expression of galectin-3 by activated microglia/macrophages in prion disease correlates with abnormal prion protein accumulation.