Strain-dependent expression of signaling proteins in the mouse hippocampus

Individual mouse strains may differ significantly in terms of behavior and cognitive function. Hippocampal gene expression profiling on several mouse strains has been carried out and points toward substantial strain-specific variation of more than 200 genes including components of major signaling pathways involved in neuronal information storage. Strain-specific hippocampal protein expression, however, has not been investigated yet. A proteomic approach based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry has been chosen to address this question by determining strain-dependent expression of signaling proteins in hippocampi of four inbred and one outbred mouse strain. Forty-six spots corresponding to 37 different signaling proteins have been analyzed and quantified. Statistical analysis revealed strain-dependent expression of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1, serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A, large GTP binding protein OPA1, guanine nucleotide-binding protein beta, putative GTP-binding protein Ran, receptor of activated protein kinase C1, WASP-family protein member 1, voltage-dependent anion channel 2 and 14-3-3 protein gamma. Differential expression of signaling proteins in the hippocampus may contribute to the molecular understanding of strain-dependent behavioral and cognitive performance. Moreover, these data highlight the importance of the genetic background for the analysis of signaling pathways in the hippocampus in wild-type mice as well as in gene-targeting experiments.