Y. Kawamura et al., Expression of the mRNA for two isoforms of neural plakophilin-related arm-repeat protein/delta-catenin in rodent neurons and glial cells, NEUROSCI L, 277(3), 1999, pp. 185-188
Neural plakophilin-related arm-repeat protein (NPRAP) is a-mammalian brain
protein of the armadillo family. Here, in an attempt to elucidate its funct
ion, we determined the mouse brain regions and cell types expressing the mR
NAs for two NPRAP isoforms (the longer and the shorter isoforms), and exami
ned the regulation of expression of the NPRAP mRNAs during the differentiat
ion of P19 cells into neurons. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain react
ion (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that both variants were expressed in various
mouse brain regions, but the mRNA for the short isoform was predominant in
most regions. Primary cultures of both neurons and glial cells exhibited h
igh expression levels of both the mRNAs, indicating that NPRAP mRNA express
ion is not neuron-specific. The expression of the two NPRAP mRNA variants w
as dramatically induced even prior to the terminal neuronal and glial diffe
rentiation of P19 cells after retinoic acid treatment. These data suggest t
hat the two NPRAP isoforms function not only in neurons and glial cells in
the brain, but also play a role in the differentiation of precursor cells i
nto neurons and glial cells, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rig
hts reserved.