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The normal cellular prion protein (PrPc) is strongly expressed in bovine endocrine pancreas

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Summary

Expression of the cellular prion protein (PrPc) has been shown to be crucial for the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and for the accumulation of the disease-associated conformer (PrPsc) in the brain and other tissues. One of the emerging hypotheses is that the conversion phenomenon could take place at the site where the infectious agent meets PrPc. In this work we have studied whether PrPc, a protein found predominantly in neurons, could also exist in pancreatic endocrine cells since neuroectoderm-derived cells and pancreatic islet cells share a large number of similarities. For this purpose we have examined the expression of PrPc in a series of fetal and postnatal bovine pancreatic tissue by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Using immunostained serial sections and specific antibodies against bovine PrPc, insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, chromogranin A and chromogranin B we found that PrPc is highly expressed in all endocrine cells of fetal and adult pancreatic islets with a particular strong expression in A-cells. Moreover it became evident that the PrPc gene-neighbour chromogranin B as well as chromogranin A are coexpressed together with PrPc. The selective expression of PrPc in the bovine endocrine pancreas is of particular importance regarding possible iatrogenic transmission routes and demonstrates also that bovine pancreatic islet cells could represent an interesting model to study the control of PrP-gene expression.

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Acknowledgement

The authors thank Mrs. Müller, Mrs. Finkelde and Mrs. Holzäpfel for their excellent technical assistance. Supported by the TSE-Förderprogramm der Landesregierung Baden-Württemberg, FKZ: 729.59-4/1

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  1. Institute of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Fruhwirthstr. 35, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    W.M. Amselgruber, T. Schlegel & M. Schweiger

  2. Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleißheim, Germany

    M. Büttner

  3. Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute for Immunology, Paul Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    E. Pfaff

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  1. W.M. Amselgruber
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Correspondence to W.M. Amselgruber.

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Amselgruber, W., Büttner, M., Schlegel, T. et al. The normal cellular prion protein (PrPc) is strongly expressed in bovine endocrine pancreas. Histochem Cell Biol 125, 441–448 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-005-0089-6

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