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Differential regional and cellular distribution of TFF3 peptide in the human brain

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Abstract

TFF3 is a member of the trefoil factor family (TFF) predominantly secreted by mucous epithelia. Minute amounts are also expressed in the immune system and the brain. In the latter, particularly the hypothalamo-pituitary axis has been investigated in detail in the past. Functionally, cerebral TFF3 has been reported to be involved in several processes such as fear, depression, learning and object recognition, and opiate addiction. Furthermore, TFF3 has been linked with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and alcoholism). Here, using immunohistochemistry, a systematic survey of the TFF3 localization in the adult human brain is presented focusing on extrahypothalamic brain areas. In addition, the distribution of TFF3 in the developing human brain is described. Taken together, neurons were identified as the predominant cell type to express TFF3, but to different extent; TFF3 was particularly enriched in various midbrain and brain stem nuclei. Besides, TFF3 immunostaining staining was observed in oligodendroglia and the choroid plexus epithelium. The wide cerebral distribution should help to explain its multiple effects in the CNS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank B. Jerzykiewicz for skilled technical assistance.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany

    Hans-Gert Bernstein, Henrik Dobrowolny, Johann Steiner & Bernhard Bogerts

  2. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany

    Kurt Trübner

  3. Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

    Werner Hoffmann

Authors
  1. Hans-Gert Bernstein
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  2. Henrik Dobrowolny
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  3. Kurt Trübner
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  4. Johann Steiner
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  5. Bernhard Bogerts
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  6. Werner Hoffmann
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Correspondence to Hans-Gert Bernstein.

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Handling Editor: M. S. Palma.

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Bernstein, HG., Dobrowolny, H., Trübner, K. et al. Differential regional and cellular distribution of TFF3 peptide in the human brain. Amino Acids 47, 1053–1063 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-1938-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-1938-9

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