Abstract
In this study we investigated the effects of the branched chain α-ketoacids accumulating in maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) on the concentrations of the high molecular weight neurofilament subunit (NF-H) associated with the cytoskeletal fraction of the cerebral cortex of 12-day-old rats. Cortical slices were incubated with α-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC), α-keto β-methylvaleric acid (KMV) and α-ketoisovaleric acid (KIV) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 mM. The cytoskeletal fraction was extracted and the immunoreactivity for phosphorylated and total NF-H was analyzed by immunoblotting. The in vitro 32P incorporation into NF-H was also determined. Results showed that treatment of tissue slices induced with KMV increased Triton-insoluble phosphorylated NF-H immunoreactivity, with no alteration in total NF-H immunoreactivity. Furthermore, KIC treatment drastically increased the total amount of NF-H, whereas KIV did not change either phosphorylated or total NF-H immunoreactivity. KMV also increased the in vitro 32P incorporation into NF-H, confirming the highly phosphorylated NF-H levels detected in the immunoblot. These findings demonstrate that KIC and KMV alter the dynamic regulation of NF-H assembly in the cytoskeletal fraction. Therefore we may suggest that cytoskeletal disorganization may be one of the factors associated with the neurodegeneration characteristic of MSUD disease.
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Pessoa-Pureur, R., Funchal, C., de Lima Pelaez, P. et al. Effect of the Branched-Chain Alpha-Ketoacids Accumulating in Maple Syrup Urine Disease on the High Molecular Weight Neurofilament Subunit (NF-H) in Rat Cerebral Cortex. Metab Brain Dis 17, 65–75 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015459910869
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015459910869