Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Formation of the mammalian brain requires choreographed migration of neurons to generate highly ordered laminar structures such as those in the cortices of the forebrain and the cerebellum. These processes are severely disrupted by mutations in reelin which cause widespread misplacement of neurons and associated ataxia in reeler mice. Reelin is a large extracellular protein secreted by pioneer neurons that coordinates cell positioning during neurodevelopment. Two new autosomal recessive mouse mutations, scramble and yotari have been described that exhibit a phenotype identical to reeler. Here we report that scrambler and yotari arise from mutations in mdab1, a mouse gene related to the Drosophila gene disabled (dab). Both scrambler and yotari mice express mutated forms of mdab1 messenger RNA and little or no mDab1 protein. mDab1 is a phosphoprotein that appears to function as an intracellular adaptor in protein kinase pathways. Expression analysis indicates that mdab1 is expressed in neuronal populations exposed to Reelin. The similar phenotypes of reeler, scrambler, yotari and mdab1 null mice indicate that Reelin and mDab1 function as signalling molecules that regulate cell positioning in the developing brain.
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PMID:Scrambler and yotari disrupt the disabled gene and produce a reeler-like phenotype in mice. 933 72

MAP2 is a major microtubule-associated brain protein, selectively localized in dendrites; growth-associated phosphoprotein GAP-43 is a neuron-specific protein associated with axonal outgrowth. In adult cerebellum, both of these proteins and their corresponding RNA transcripts are most strongly expressed by granule cells. Using immunocytochemistry with antibodies and in situ hybridization histochemistry with [32P] labeled oligonucleotide probes, we examined the cellular localization of MAP2, GAP-43 and their mRNAs in the cerebellum of control and weaver (wv/wv) mutant mice, which exhibit massive granule cell death. In wild-type (+/+) mice, MAP2 immunoreactivity was seen in neuronal somata and dendrites of the granule cell layer; GAP-43 immunoreactivity was present in molecular layer, corresponding to the distribution of parallel fibres. Transcripts encoding MAP2 and GAP-43 were localized in the layer of the granule cell somata. In heterozygous weaver mice (wv/+), which feature an intermediate degree of granule cell loss, MAP2 immunoreactivity was localized in the granular layer, and the pattern of GAP-43 immunostaining was also similar to +/+, the only difference being a thinner molecular layer. Heterozygotes had an anatomical pattern of MAP2 and GAP-43 mRNA hybridization qualitatively similar to that of the wild-type with some deviations in signal intensity. In homozygous weaver mutants (wv/wv), MAP2 immunoreactivity was extremely weak in the area beneath Purkinje cells and a certain GAP-43 immunoreactivity was seen in the upper part of cerebellar cortex. Hybridization signals for MAP2 and GAP-43 mRNAs were minimal. The reported alterations in regional pattern of MAP2 and GAP-43 expression in mutant mice offer a molecular correlate of dendritic and axonal protein gene transcription pertinent to the neuropathological manifestations of certain forms of heredodegenerative ataxia.
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PMID:MAP2 and GAP-43 expression in normal and weaver mouse cerebellum: correlative immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies. 975

Neuropathy target esterase (neurotoxic esterase, NTE), a protein thought to be involved in the production of organophosphorus compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN), has been postulated to be a component of endogenous neuronal protein phosphorylation systems. The purpose of this work was to test this hypothesis as well as to investigate further the role of endogenous protein phosphorylation in toxic neuropathies. White Leghorn hens were dosed with the neuropathic compounds di-1-butyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (dibutyl dichlorvos, DBDCV), tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), or acrylamide, and regions from brain were fractionated into axolemmal, synaptosomal, and microsomal preparations. Radiolabeling of NTE or endogenously phosphorylated proteins was carried out by incubation with [14C]-DFP or gamma-[32P]-ATP, respectively. Radiolabeled proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and visualized by autoradiography. Relative amounts of phosphoproteins were quantified by densitometry of the autoradiographs. Changes in endogenous phosphorylation of a protein exhibiting the characteristics of NTE were not observed in these experiments. However, levels of a [32P]-labeled 50-kDa brainstem axolemmal protein were decreased significantly on d 15, but not on d 1, 3, 7, or 10 after dosing with 2.8 mg/kg DBDCV. Clinical signs of ataxia and histopathological findings of axonal degeneration in the spinocerebellar tracts of the brainstem were evident on d 10-15, and hens were unable to perch on a horizontal wooden rod from d 12 after dosing with DBDCV. The decrease in the 50-kDa phosphoprotein was not observed on d 15 after the production of clinically evident neuropathy with either 14 daily doses of 50 mg/kg acrylamide or with a single dose of 500 mg/kg TOCP. These results suggest that NTE is not an endogenously phosphorylated protein under the conditions of these experiments. However, an effect on endogenous phosphorylation limited to a 50-kDa axolemmal protein was selectively produced by treatment with a neuropathic dose of DBDCV that was in evidence only after clinical signs and histopathological findings of axonopathy were apparent.
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PMID:Brainstem axolemmal protein phosphorylation in vitro in hens dosed with di-1-butyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate. 1070 44