Increased expression of CaM kinase II alpha in the brains of scrapie-infected mice

We investigated the distribution of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein ki nase II (CaM kinase II) in the brains of mice infected with ME7 scrapie str ain. CaM kinase II is an enzyme that plays a major role in the regulation o f long-term potentiation, a form of synaptic plasticity associated with lea rning and memory. Immunoreactivity of CaM kinase II alpha, measured by West ern blot, increased markedly in scrapie-infected brains compared with contr ol brains. Immunohistochemically, CaM kinase II alpha immunoreactivity was upregulated in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA1 area of scrapie-posi tive mice infected with ME7 scrapie strain. This result implies that this e nzyme is associated with aberrant function of synaptic transmission and LTP of the pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area of mice infected with ME7 scrapie strain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights rese rved.