Decreased content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the brain of knockout mouse models of Na+,K+-ATPase-related neurologic disorders.
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ABSTRACT: Na+,K+-ATPase is a crucial protein responsible for maintaining the electrochemical gradients across the cell membrane. The Na+,K+-ATPase is comprised of catalytic ?, ?, and ? subunits. In adult brains, the ?3 subunit, encoded by ATP1A3, is predominantly expressed in neurons, whereas the ?2 subunit, encoded by ATP1A2, is expressed in glial cells. In foetal brains, the ?2 is expressed in neurons as well. Mutations in ? subunits cause a variety of neurologic disorders. Notably, the onset of symptoms in ATP1A2- and ATP1A3-related neurologic disorders is usually triggered by physiological or psychological stressors. To gain insight into the distinct roles of the ?2 and ?3 subunits in the developing foetal brain, whose developmental dysfunction may be a predisposing factor of neurologic disorders, we compared the phenotypes of mouse foetuses with double homozygous knockout of Atp1a2 and Atp1a3 (?2?3-dKO) to those with single knockout. The brain haemorrhage phenotype of ?2?3-dKO was similar to that of homozygous knockout of the gene encoding ascorbic acid (ASC or vitamin C) transporter, SVCT2. The ?2?3-dKO brain showed significantly decreased level of ASC compared with the wild-type (WT) and single knockout. We found that the ASC content in the basal ganglia and cerebellum was significantly lower in the adult Atp1a3 heterozygous knockout mouse (?3-HT) than in the WT. Interestingly, we observed a significant decrease in the ASC level in the basal ganglia and cerebellum of ?3-HT in the peripartum period, during which mice are under physiological stress. These observations indicate that the ?2 and ?3 subunits independently contribute to the ASC level in the foetal brain and that the ?3 subunit contributes to ASC transport in the adult basal ganglia and cerebellum. We propose that decreases in ASC levels may affect neural network development and are linked to the pathophysiology of ATP1A2- and ATP1A3-related neurologic disorders.
SUBMITTER: Ikeda K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7864419 | biostudies-literature | 2021
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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