Neuropsin Expression Correlates with Dendritic Marker MAP2c Level in Different Brain Regions of Aging Mice

Neuropsin (NP) is a serine protease, implicated in synaptic plasticity and memory acquisition through cleavage of synaptic adhesion molecule, L1CAM. However, NP has not been explored during brain aging that entails drastic deterioration of plasticity and memory with selective regional vulnerability. Therefore, we have analysed the expression of NP and correlated with its function via analysis of endogenous cleavage of L1CAM and level of dendritic marker MAP2c in different regions of the aging mouse brain. While NP expression gradually decreased in the cerebral cortex during aging, it showed a sharp rise in both olfactory bulb and hippocampus in adult and thereafter declined in old age. NP expression was moderate in young medulla, but undetectable in midbrain and cerebellum. It was positively correlated with L1CAM cleavage and MAP2c level in different brain regions during aging. Taken together, our study shows age-dependent regional variation in NP expression and its positive correlation with MAP2c level, suggesting the involvement of NP in MAP2c mediated alterations in dendritic morphology during aging.