M. Lucas et al., INTERNUCLEOSOMAL BREAKDOWN OF THE DNA OF BRAIN CORTEX IN HUMAN SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY, Neurochemistry international, 31(2), 1997, pp. 241-244
The analysis of chromatin structure in cases of human spongiform encep
halopathies could show the possible involvement of apoptosis in neuron
al cell death. Genomic DNA was purified from peripheral blood lymphocy
tes and from a biopsy of the brain cortex in a case of Creutzfeldt-Jak
ob disease. Restriction fragment polymorphism with AspI, PvuII, DdeI a
nd NspI showed the pattern of wild type PrP gene. The DNA purified fro
m the brain consisted of partially degraded DNA in internucleosomal-si
zed fragments, whereas the DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes showe
d the high molecular weight of unbroken DNA. These results are consist
ent with the possible activation in vivo of the apoptotic endonuclease
and the internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA of the brain cortex in
the patient affected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, suggesting the invo
lvement of apoptosis in neuronal cell death in human spongiform enceph
alopathy. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.