EXPRESSION OF FAC1 IN ACTIVATED MICROGLIA DURING ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

The presence of reactive microglia and astrocytes is a common observat ion in Alzheimer's disease brain. Microglia are present within the num erous beta-amyloid containing neuritic plaques, whereas reactive astro cytes usually surround the plaque perimeter. These glial cells express and secrete numerous neurotrophic and neurotoxic factors that contrib ute to the etiology of the disease. The molecular mechanisms that dict ate glial cell activation and subsequent alternative gene expression a re currently unknown. In the present study we determine that activated microglia in AD brain express the FAC1 protein, a developmentally reg ulated gene product, while astrocytes fail to express significant leve ls of FAC1 protein. Since FAC1 is a putative DNA binding protein, expr ession in microglia during AD suggests that FAC1 participates in the r egulation of alternative gene expression. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd. All rights reserved.