Mr. Cookson et al., Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is found in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of human CNS neurons, BRAIN RES, 834(1-2), 1999, pp. 182-185
There is evidence that inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) may
be therapeutically useful in neurodegenerative diseases. Using immunocytoc
hemistry, we have investigated the distribution of PARP in the human CNS. S
ome neuronal groups showed cytoplasmic staining in addition to the expected
staining of nuclei. Considerable variation between different neuronal grou
ps was noted: motor neurons in the spinal cord showed greatest cytoplasmic
staining, whereas staining was virtually absent in other neurons, notably i
n the hippocampus. These results indicate that PARP can be associated with
sub-cellular components other than the nucleus, and may indicate additional
roles for this enzyme. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.