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Clusterin expression during fetal and postnatal CNS development in mouse
Y Charnay1, A Imhof, P G Vallet
1Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Ch du petit-Bel-Air, CH-1225 Chene-Bourg, Geneva, Switzerland. Yves.Charnay@medecine.unige.ch
Neuroscience
|July 16, 2008
Summary
Clusterin (apolipoprotein J) is present early in mouse brain development. While its absence doesn't broadly affect CNS development, clusterin deficiency significantly impacts motor neuron development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Clusterin (apolipoprotein J) is a multifunctional glycoprotein implicated in CNS plasticity and tissue remodeling.
- Its precise role and developmental trajectory within the central nervous system (CNS) remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ontogeny of clusterin expression in the developing CNS of wild-type (WT) mice.
- To explore the developmental consequences of clusterin gene knockout (Clu-/-) on CNS development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized biochemical and morphological approaches to study clusterin expression patterns.
- Employed real-time polymerase chain amplification and clusterin-immunoreactivity dot-blot analyses.
- Conducted comparative analyses between WT and Clu-/- mice during postnatal development.
Main Results:
- Clusterin mRNA expression was detected in the fetal CNS (E14/E15) and postnatal CNS, with strong signals in motor nuclei from the first postnatal week.
- Clusterin levels paralleled mRNA expression.
- While no significant differences were observed in overall brain weight or general neuronal/glial markers, Clu-/- mice showed a significant deficit (-16%) in large motor neurons in the facial nucleus.
Conclusions:
- Clusterin expression begins in fetal life, particularly in subcortical structures.
- The absence of clusterin does not broadly impair fundamental CNS development.
- Clusterin deficiency negatively impacts the development of specific motor neuron populations.
