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The Role of the Prion Protein in the Molecular Basis for Synaptic Plasticity and Nervous System Development

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Abstract

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is found prominently at the synapse. However, its role at the nerve termini and elsewhere is unknown. Here we discuss research presented at the 2005 International Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (I2CAM) first Annual Amyloid Conference that provides insight into the role of synaptic PrPC. The prion protein can interact and facilitate copper uptake at the synapse, is presumed to oligodimerize to facilitate putative cell-cell adhesion, and it transports toward the synapse by fast microtubule-based anterograde transport. While PrPC appears to be involved in all these processes, the mechanisms of PrPC function in each of them remain unclear. A role for PrPC in these distinct processes suggests a complex role for this protein at the synapse. Unraveling PrPC function will likely entail employing combined approaches that take into account its possible multifaceted functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California, 92093-0683, USA

    Sandra E. Encalada

  2. Développement et Evolution du Système Nerveux, CNRS UMR 8542, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46, rue d’Ulm, 75005, Paris, France

    Kenneth L. Moya

  3. Institut de Génétique Humaine du CNRS, UPR 1142 141, rue de la Cardonille, 34396, MONTPELLIER Cedex 5, France

    Sylvain Lehmann

  4. Alicon AG, Wagistrasse 23, CH-8952, Schlieven, Switzerland

    Ralph Zahn

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  1. Sandra E. Encalada
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  2. Kenneth L. Moya
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  3. Sylvain Lehmann
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  4. Ralph Zahn
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Correspondence to Sandra E. Encalada.

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Encalada, S.E., Moya, K.L., Lehmann, S. et al. The Role of the Prion Protein in the Molecular Basis for Synaptic Plasticity and Nervous System Development. J Mol Neurosci 34, 9–15 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-007-0011-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-007-0011-x

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