Specific neurons of brain cortex and cerebellum are PIPPin positive

We recently cloned a cDNA encoding an RNA-binding protein, that we called P IPPin, which is highly enriched in the rat brain and contains two putative double stranded RNA-binding domains (PIP1 and PIP2) and a central cold shoc k domain (CSD). Here we report that PIPPin is specifically enriched in some pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex and in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. We also show that PIPPin inhibits translation of HI degrees and H3.3 mRNA in a cell-free system. The results reported suggest that PIPPin downregulates histone variant expression in the developing rat brain. Neuro Report 11:2233-2236 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.