EXPRESSION AND LOCALIZATION IN THE FISH RETINA OF A HOMOLOG OF THE ALZHEIMERS RELATED PS1 GENE

EARLY-ONSET familial Alzheimer's disease (early-onset FAD) has been li nked with mutations in the presenilin gene, PS1. Mutations in PS1 may affect the processing/trafficking of b-amyloid precursor-protein (bAPP ) and favour the production of toxic amyloid-b fragments that are asso ciated with neural degeneration. This study reports the expression of a PS1-like cDNA in the carp (Cyprinus carpio) retina (the encoded prot ein shows 76% identity to the human PS1 protein). Carp PS1 mRNA was lo calized by in situ hybridization to the photoreceptor cell, inner nucl ear and ganglion cell layers. Expression of the PS1 gene in the rat re tina was also confirmed. The retinal expression of PS1 raises the poss ibility that PS1 mutations also lead to neural degeneration in the ret ina. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.