Detection of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)-type glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and its mRNA in human lymphocytes
✍ Scribed by Hélène Riol; Marcienne Tardy; Bernadette Rolland; Georges Lévesque; M.R. Ven Murthy
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 131 KB
- Volume
- 48
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0360-4012
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✦ Synopsis
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astroglial marker, has been detected in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in a shorter version and its mRNA in a longer form (¬-type) than the brain a-type. To determine the characteristics of the GFAP gene expression in nonneural cells, we have investigated its in vivo transcription and translation products in human lymphocytes. Using RT-PCR, we demonstrate that the GFAP gene is transcribed in these cells. Most or all of the mRNA resulting from this transcription was longer than the brain-type at its 58 end and thus may correspond to the ¬-type. In addition, immunoblotting of lymphocyte extracts with a monoclonal antibody revealed a 41 KDa fragment instead of the 50 KDa expected from brain GFAP. These results suggest that GFAP expression in lymphocytes is preferentially of the PNS ¬-type giving rise to longer mRNA and shorter protein. However, compared to two other astroglial mRNAs (S-100¬ and aldolase C) which were synthesized in significant amounts in lymphocytes, GFAP mRNA was detected in minute amounts representing 0.03% of the brain level. This low expression may subserve a special role in lymphocytes since it is translated.