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Exposure to lead‐acetate modulates the developmental expression of myelin genes in the rat frontal lobe
Author(s) -
Zawia N.H.,
Harry G.J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(95)00032-c
Subject(s) - myelin , myelin proteolipid protein , myelin basic protein , proteolipid protein 1 , biology , gene expression , endocrinology , medicine , oligodendrocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , central nervous system , biochemistry
Postnatal exposure to high levels (4%) of lead (Pb) have been shown to disrupt myelin formation and result in abnormal conduction of nerve impulses, components necessary for information processing in the CNS. To investigate whether the pathological changes in myelin, we have might be partially mediated by modulations of the expression of genes involved in CNS myelin, we have examined the developmental profiles of the proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP), two major structural constitents of CNS myelin and 2′,3′‐cyclic nucleotide 3′ phosphodiesterase (CNP), a non‐structural enzyme associated with myeline formation. Rat pups were postnatally exposed, from birth to weaning, to moderate amounts of Pb (0.2%), in the drinking water of the dam, and their frontal cortices were assayed for changes in the expression profile of the above genes by Northern Analysis. On PND 20, Pb resulted in a dramatic stimulation of the mRNA levels of PLP and a small increase in MBP mRNA levels, but had no effect on the CNP message. These data suggest that moderate levels of Pb selectively interfere with the gene expression of structural proteins of CNS myelin and may thus influence the composition of myelin in this way.