Abstract
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is considered to be a highly specific marker for glia. Here, we report on the expression of GFAP in neurons in the human hippocampus. Intriguingly, this neuronal GFAP is coded by out-of-frame splice variants and its expression is associated with Alzheimer pathology. We identified three novel GFAP splice forms: Delta 135 nt, Delta exon 6 and Delta 164 nt. Neuronal GFAP is mainly observed in the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus of Alzheimer and Down syndrome patients and aged controls, but not in neurons of patients suffering from hippocampal sclerosis. Apparently, the hippocampal neurons in patients with Alzheimer's disease pathology are capable of expressing glia-specific genes.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Alternative Splicing*
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Alzheimer Disease / genetics
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Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
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Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Base Sequence
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Down Syndrome / genetics
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Down Syndrome / metabolism
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Down Syndrome / pathology
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Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / genetics
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Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / pathology
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Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / physiopathology
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Exons
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Female
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Frameshifting, Ribosomal*
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / genetics
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism*
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Hippocampus / metabolism
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Hippocampus / pathology
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Humans
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Male
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neuroglia / metabolism
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Neuroglia / pathology
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Neurons / metabolism*
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Neurons / pathology
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RNA, Messenger / analysis
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Reading Frames / genetics
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Sclerosis
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Transcription, Genetic*
Substances
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
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RNA, Messenger