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KMID : 1004820070080010025
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Journal of Biomedical Research
2007 Volume.8 No. 1 p.25 ~ p.30
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Role of Niemann-Pick type C2 (NPC2) in Synaptic Plasticity
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Nam Yeon-Ju
Kim Hyong-Kyu
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Abstract
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NPC2 has been recently isolated as the second gene which is related to Niemann-Pick type C disease, an autosomal genetic disease. It has been reported that Niemann-Pick type C2 protein (NPC2), which is a soluble lysosomal protein, binds a cholesterol and expressed in all human body. Even much of the structure and function of NPC2 itself have been known, the function in the cellular level has been to be elusive. Thus we investigated the role of NPC2 in the cultured hippocampal neurons. In situ hybridization analysis, NPC2 mRNA was detected in the cell bodies and dendritic regions, suggesting a regulatory mechanism by local protein synthesis. The overexpression of NPC2 in the cultured hippocampal neurons increased the number of protrusion in the dendrites. This accompanied by the increase of postsynaptic density in the cell bodies and dendritic regions. Overall, these results suggest a new function of NPC2 in the synaptic plasticity.
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KEYWORD
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Niemann-Pick type C disease, synaptic plasticity, Sindbis virus, postsynaptic density (PSD), in situ hybridization, hippocampal neuron
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