Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: EC:3.1.26.9 (
ribonuclease
)
6,589
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) play critical roles during development of the nervous system. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible effect of ethanol exposure on the pattern of expression and sialylation of
NCAM
isoforms during postnatal rat brain development because alterations in
NCAM
content and distribution have been associated with defects in cell migration, synapse formation, and memory consolidation, and deficits in these processes have been observed after in utero alcohol exposure. The expression of
NCAM
isoforms in the developing cerebral cortex of pups from control and alcohol-fed mothers was assessed by western blotting,
ribonuclease
protection assay, and immunocytochemistry. The highly sialylated form of
NCAM
[polysialic acid (PSA)-
NCAM
] is mainly expressed during the neonatal period and then is down-regulated in parallel with the appearance of
NCAM
180 and
NCAM
140. Ethanol exposure increases PSA-
NCAM
levels during the neonatal period, delays the loss of PSA-
NCAM
, decreases the amount of
NCAM
180 and
NCAM
140 isoforms, and reduces sialyltransferase activity during postnatal brain development. Neuraminidase treatment of ethanol-exposed neonatal brains leads to more intense band degradation products, suggesting a higher content of
NCAM
polypeptides carrying PSA in these samples. However,
NCAM
mRNA levels are not changed by ethanol. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrates that ethanol triggers an increase in PSA-
NCAM
immunolabeling in the cytoplasm of astroglial cells, accompanied by a decrease in immunogold particles over the plasma membrane. These findings indicate that ethanol exposure during brain development alters the pattern of
NCAM
expression and suggest that modification of
NCAM
could affect neuronal-glial interactions that might contribute to the brain defects observed after in utero alcohol exposure.
...
PMID:Alcohol exposure alters the expression pattern of neural cell adhesion molecules during brain development. 1093 76
