Trapp B D, Hauer P E
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
J Neurosci Res. 1994 Mar 1;37(4):538-50. doi: 10.1002/jnr.490370413.
The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a transmembrane glycoprotein and the source of the amyloid that accumulates in brains of individuals with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Although its function is unknown, previous in vitro studies indicate that APP can facilitate neuronal cell adhesion and neuronal survival. If APP has a similar function in vivo, it should be expressed in fetal brain. To investigate this possibility, the present study determined the cellular distribution of APP in fetal and postnatal mouse brain. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy detected abundant APP immunoreactivity in radial glial cells in fetal and early postnatal mouse brain. In mature mouse brain, APP was detected in neuronal perikarya and dendrites but not in astrocytes. These results support a functional role for APP during radial glia-mediated neuronal histogenesis.
淀粉样前体蛋白（APP）是一种跨膜糖蛋白，是在阿尔茨海默病患者及其他神经退行性疾病患者大脑中积累的淀粉样蛋白的来源。尽管其功能尚不清楚，但先前的体外研究表明，APP可促进神经元细胞黏附和神经元存活。如果APP在体内具有类似功能，那么它应该在胎儿大脑中表达。为了研究这种可能性，本研究确定了APP在胎儿及出生后小鼠大脑中的细胞分布。免疫细胞化学和共聚焦显微镜检测发现，在胎儿及出生后早期小鼠大脑的放射状胶质细胞中存在大量APP免疫反应性。在成熟小鼠大脑中，APP在神经元胞体和树突中被检测到，但在星形胶质细胞中未被检测到。这些结果支持了APP在放射状胶质细胞介导的神经元组织发生过程中的功能作用。
