NEURONAL PENTRAXIN, A SECRETED PROTEIN WITH HOMOLOGY TO ACUTE-PHASE PROTEINS OF THE IMMUNE-SYSTEM

We have identified, by affinity chromatography, a binding protein for the snake venom toxin taipoxin, The sequence of this 47 kDa protein is unique, is characteristic of a secreted protein, and has homology to the acute phase proteins serum amyloid P protein and C-reactive protei n of the pentraxin family, We have named this protein neuronal pentrax in (NP), as Northern analysis and in situ hybridization demonstrate hi gh message levels in neurons of cerebellum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex, Because NP may be released synaptically and has homology to im mune proteins potentially involved in uptake of lipidic, toxic, or oth er antigenic material, we suggest that NP may be involved in a general uptake of synaptic macromolecules.