Lack of MeCP2 leads to region-specific increase of doublecortin in the olfactory system.

Lack of MeCP2 leads to region-specific increase of doublecortin in the olfactory system. Brain Struct Funct. 2019 Mar 28;: Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez E, Martín-Sánchez A, Coviello S, Foiani C, Kul E, Stork O, Martínez-García F, Nacher J, Lanuza E, Santos M, Agustín-Pavón C Abstract The protein doublecortin is mainly expressed in migrating neuroblasts and immature neurons. The X-linked gene MECP2, associated to several neurodevelopmental disorders such as Rett syndrome, encodes the protein methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a regulatory protein that has been implicated in neuronal maturation and refinement of olfactory circuits. Here, we explored doublecortin immunoreactivity in the brain of young adult female Mecp2-heterozygous and male Mecp2-null mice and their wild-type littermates. The distribution of doublecortin-immunoreactive somata in neurogenic brain regions was consistent with previous reports in rodents, and no qualitative differences were found between genotypes or sexes. Quantitatively, we found a significant increase in doublecortin cell density in the piriform cortex of Mecp2-null males as compared to WT littermates. A similar increase was seen in a newly identified population of doublecortin cells in the olfactory tubercle. In these olfactory structures, however, the percentage of doublecortin immature neurons that also expressed NeuN was not different between genotypes. By contrast, we found no significant...
Source: Brain Structure and Function - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Brain Struct Funct Source Type: research