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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic Poly(I:C)
Published on: March 25, 2016
A maternal blood-borne factor promotes survival of the developing thalamus
Peter Landgraf1, Frank Sieg, Petra Wahle
1Institute of Physiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Insights
A novel survival factor, Y-P30, produced by immune cells promotes neuronal survival during development and may play a role in neuroinflammation after injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) produce factors influencing neuronal health.
- The role of immune-derived factors in neurodevelopment and neuroinflammation is an area of active research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel polypeptide survival-promoting factor produced by PBMCs.
- To investigate the role of this factor in neuronal development and neuroinflammation.
Main Methods:
- Identification and characterization of the Y-P30 polypeptide.
- Analysis of Y-P30 expression in rat and human tissues (brain, blood).
- In vitro studies on the effect of Y-P30 on neuronal survival.
- Induction of Y-P30 transcription in response to central nervous system injury.
Main Results:
- A polypeptide, Y-P30, was identified from maternal and early postnatal PBMCs.
- Y-P30 promotes survival of perinatal thalamus cells in vitro.
- Y-P30 mRNA is present in pregnant animals' PBMCs but not in adult brains.
- CNS lesion induces Y-P30 transcription in adult PBMCs.
Conclusions:
- Y-P30 is a novel neurotrophic factor derived from immune cells.
- Y-P30 plays a role in neuronal development and potentially in neuroinflammation following white matter injury.
Abstract:
In this report, we describe the identification of a polypeptide survival-promoting factor that is produced by maternal and early postnatal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the immune system in Long-Evans rats and humans. The factor, termed Y-P30, most likely arises from proteolytic processing of a larger precursor protein and accumulates mainly in pyramidal neurons of the developing cortex and hippocampus but not in astrocytes. It was released from neurons grown in culture and substantially promotes survival of cells in explant monocultures of perinatal thalamus from the offspring. Y-P30 mRNA was not detectable in infant or adult brain and was present only in blood cells of pregnant rats and humans but not in nonpregnant controls. However, Y-P30 transcription could be induced in PBMCs of adult animals by a central nervous system lesion (i.e., optic nerve crush), which points to a potential role of the factor not only in neuronal development but also in neuroinflammation after white matter injury.
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