Scientific article
English

Differential changes in synaptic proteins in the Alzheimer frontal cortex with marked increase in PSD-95 postsynaptic protein

Published inJournal of Alzheimer's disease, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 139-151
Publication date2008
Abstract

We investigated how synaptic plasticity is related to the neurodegeneration process in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Pre- and postsynaptic proteins of Brodmann's area 9 from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-matched controls were quantified by immunohistochemical methods and Western blots. The main finding was a significant increase in the expression of postsynaptic density protein PSD-95 in AD brains, revealed on both sections and immunoblots, while the expression of spinophilin, associated to spines, remained quantitatively unchanged despite qualitative changes with age and disease. Presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein indicated an increased immunohistochemical level, while synaptophysin remained unchanged. MAP2, a somatodendritic microtubule protein, as well as AD markers such as amyloid-beta protein and phosphorylated protein tau showed an increased expression on immunosections in AD. Altogether these changes suggest neuritic and synaptic reorganization in the process of AD. In particular, the significant increase in PSD-95 expression suggests a change in NMDA receptors trafficking and may represent a novel marker of functional significance for the disease.

Keywords
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease/metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Electrophoresis
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins/metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Synapses/metabolism
Citation (ISO format)
LEUBA, Genevieve et al. Differential changes in synaptic proteins in the Alzheimer frontal cortex with marked increase in PSD-95 postsynaptic protein. In: Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, 2008, vol. 15, n° 1, p. 139–151. doi: 10.3233/jad-2008-15112
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1387-2877
598views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation27/03/2012 08:58:55
First validation27/03/2012 08:58:55
Update13/03/2026 07:31:02
Status update13/03/2026 07:31:02
Last indexation13/03/2026 07:35:15
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack