H. Hamashima et al., Immunochemical assessment of neural visinin-like calcium-binding protein 3expression in rat brain, NEUROSCI RE, 39(1), 2001, pp. 133-143
Expression of neural visinin-like calcium-binding protein 3 (NVP3) was asse
ssed by immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses in rat brain. NVP3 was
markedly expressed in the cerebellum, at a concentration of 9.5 muM. On SDS
-PAGE, native NVP3 migrated at 23kDa, identical to the recombinant myristoy
l-form, but somewhat faster than the non-myristoyl-form. Both forms bound 3
moles of calcium. The myristoyl-form exhibited a cooperativity in binding
calcium and calcium-dependent membrane-binding. but the non-myristoyl-form
did not. At 3 months. NVP3 was primarily localized in the Purkinje cells, w
ith intense staining in the cell bodies, dendrites and axons. The cerebella
r granule cells and basal nuclear neurons were faintly stained. During deve
lopment of the cerebellum NVP3-positive Purkinje cells first appeared on po
st-natal day 14 (P14). The staining intensity then increased and plateaued
on P28. Labeling showed a tendency to accumulate in the dendrites and nerve
terminals in a fine granular pattern. During aging process. NVP3 levels de
creased by 43% at 12 months and 68% at 24 months, while the levels of NVP1,
synaptophysin and drebrin were preferentially preserved. These results sug
gest that NVP1 is involved in dendritic arborization and postsynaptic funct
ion in cerebellar Purkinje cells and that presynaptic nerve terminals are a
nother functional site of the protein. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Lt
d and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.