Measuring synaptosomal associated protein-25 kDa in human cerebral spinal fluid

Changes in the quantity and distribution of neuronal proteins have been reported in psychiatric and neurological illnesses. The majority of this work has been performed in post-mortem samples and the results are difficult to apply to clinical care. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology that can identify trace amounts of brain proteins in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Human cerebral spinal fluid was processed to remove albumin and immunoglobulins. CSF samples were analyzed on Western blots using a monoclonal antibody against SNAP-25. These samples were compared to SNAP-25 immunoprecipitated from CSF, rat and human brain homogenates. The monoclonal antibody Mab 331 identified a single band of 25 kDa in all samples. These results demonstrate that the presynaptic protein SNAP-25 can be identified and measured in CSF.