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Caspase‐cleaved actin (fractin) immunolabelling of Hirano bodies
Author(s) -
Rossiter J. P.,
Anderson L. L.,
Yang F.,
Cole G. M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
neuropathology and applied neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.538
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1365-2990
pISSN - 0305-1846
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2990.2000.00252.x
Subject(s) - actin , caspase , biology , cytoskeleton , microbiology and biotechnology , proteases , polyclonal antibodies , antiserum , cleavage (geology) , caspase 3 , hippocampal formation , apoptosis , biochemistry , antibody , programmed cell death , neuroscience , immunology , cell , enzyme , paleontology , fracture (geology)
Hirano bodies are eosinophilic rod‐like inclusions that are found predominantly in neuronal processes in the hippocampal CA1 sector with increasing age and are particularly numerous in Alzheimer’s disease. They contain a variety of cytoskeletal epitopes, especially actin and actin‐binding proteins. Actin cleavage by cysteinyl aspartate‐specific proteases (caspases) is a feature of apoptosis. Cleavage at aspartate 244 generates N‐terminal 32 kDa and C‐terminal 15 kDa actin fragments. This has led to the development of a rabbit polyclonal antibody specific for caspase‐cleaved actin, directed to the last five C‐terminal amino acids of the 32 kDa fragment of actin (‘fractin’). Fractin immunohistochemistry was performed on hippocampal sections from Alzheimer’s disease and control cases containing numerous Hirano bodies, in addition to immunolabelling with CM1 antiserum which recognizes activated caspase‐3. The Hirano bodies showed strong diffuse fractin immunoreactivity. They did not label with CM1 antiserum, perhaps reflecting too low a level of activated caspase‐3 for immunodetection, or involvement of a different member of the caspase family. The finding of fractin immunoreactivity of Hirano bodies suggests that caspase‐like cleavage of actin may play a role in their formation and further supports caspase‐like activity in neuronal processes, distinct from that associated with acute perikaryal apoptosis.