Abstract
In multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disease of young adults, there is a paucity of myelin repair in the central nervous system (CNS) which is necessary for the restoration of fast saltatory conduction in axons1,2. Consequently, this relapsing disease often causes marked disability. In similar diseases of small rodents, however, remyelination can be quite extensive, as in the demyelinating disease caused by the A59 strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV-A59)3,4, a coronavirus of mice. To investigate when and where oligodendrocytes are first triggered to repair CNS myelin in such disease, we have used a complementary DNA probe specific for one major myelin protein gene, myelin basic protein (MBP), which hybridizes with the four forms of MBP messenger RNA in rodents5. Using Northern blot and in situ hybridization techniques, we previously found that MBP mRNA is first detected at about 5 days after birth, peaks at 18 days and progressively decreases to 25% of the peak levels in the adult5–7. We now report that in spinal cord sections of adult animals with active demyelination and inflammatory cells, in situ hybridization reveals a dramatic increase in probe binding to MBP-specific mRNA at 2–3 weeks after virus inoculation and before remyelination can be detected by morphological methods. This increase of MBP-specific mRNA is found at the edge of the demyelinating area and extends into surrounding areas of normal-appearing white matter. Thus, in situ hybridization with myelin-specific probes appears to be a useful method for detecting the timing, intensity and location of myelin protein gene reactivation preceding remyelination. This method could be used to elucidate whether such a reactivation occurs in multiple sclerosis brain tissue. Our results suggest that in mice, glial cells react to a demyelinating process with widespread MBP mRNA synthesis which may be triggered by a diffusible factor released in the demyelinated areas.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Perier, O. & Gregoire, A. Brain 88, 937–950 (1965).
Raine, C. S. in Myelin 2nd edn (ed. Morell, P.) 259–310 (Plenum, New York, 1984).
Woyciechowska, J. L. et al. J. exp. Path. 1, 295–306 (1984).
Lavi, E., Gilden, D. H., Wroblewska, Z., Rorke, L. B. & Weiss, S. R. Neurology 34, 597–603 (1984).
Zeller, N. K., Hunkeler, M. J., Campagnoni, A. T., Sprague, J. & Lazzarini, R. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 18–22 (1984).
Zeller, N. K., Behar, T. N., Dubois-Dalcq, M. E. & Lazzarini, R. A. J. Neurosci. 5, 2955–2962 (1985).
Kristensson, K., Zeller, N. K., Dubois-Dalcq, M. & Lazzarini, R. A. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 34, 467–473 (1986).
Weiner, L. P. Archs. Neurol. 28, 298–303 (1973).
Lampert, P. W., Sims, J. K. & Kniazeff, A. J. Acta neuropath. 24, 76–85 (1973).
Powell, H. C. & Lampert, P. W. Lab. Invest. 33, 440–445 (1975).
Herndon, R. M., Price, D. L. & Weiner, L. P. Science 195, 693–694 (1977).
Haspel, M. V., Lampert, P. W. & Oldstone, M. B. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 4033–4063 (1978).
Knobler, R. L., Haspel, M. V., Dubois-Dalcq, M., Lampert, P. W. & Oldstone, B. A. in Biochemistry and Biology of Coronaviruses (eds ter Meulen, V., Siddell, S. & Wege, H.) 341–348 (Plenum, New York, 1981).
Knobler, R. L., Haspel, M. V., Dubois-Daleg, H., Lampert, P. W. & Oldstone, B. A. J. Neuroimmun. 1, 81–92 (1981).
Wege, H., Koga, M., Wege, H. & ter Meulen, V. in Biochemistry and Biology of Coronaviruses (eds ter Meulen, V., Siddell, S. & Wege, H.) 327–340 (Plenum, New York, 1981).
Sturman, L. S. & Holmes, K. V. Virology 77, 650–660 (1977).
Sorensen, O. & Dales, J. Virology 56, 434–438 (1985).
McLean, I. W. & Nakane, P. K. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 22, 1077–1083 (1974).
Sternberger, N. H., del Cerro, C., Kies, M. W. & Herndon, R. M. J. Neuroimmun. 7, 355–363 (1985).
Ludwin, S. K. Adv. Neurol. 31, 123–168 (1981).
Itoyama, Y., Webster, H. deF, Richardson, E. P. & Trapp, B. D. Ann. Neurol. 14, 339–346 (1983).
Blakemore, W. F. Rec. Adv. Neuropath. 2, 53–81 (1982).
Hudson, L. D., Condra, C. & Lazzarini, R. A. J. gen. Virol. (in the press).
Ludwin, S. K. & Sternberger, N. Acta neuropath. 63, 240–249 (1984).
ffrench-Constant, C. & Rafl, M. Nature 319, 499–502 (1986).
Reyners, H. Gianfelici de Reyners, E. & Maisin, J.-R. J. Neurocytol. 11, 967–978 (1982).
Reyners, H. Gianfelici de Reyners, E., Regniers, L. & Maisin, J. R. J. Neurocytol. (in the press).
Lachapelle, F. et al. Devl Neurosci. 6, 325–334 (1984).
Raff, M. C., Miller, R. H. & Noble, M. Nature 303, 390–396 (1983).
Fontana, A., Dubs, R., Merchant, R., Balsiger, S. & Grob, P. J. J. Neuroimmun. 2, 55–71 (1981).
Fontana, A., Otz, U., De Week, A. L. & Grob, P. J. J. Neuroimmun. 2, 73–81 (1981).
Merrill, J. E. et al. Science 224, 1428–1430 (1984).
Benveniste, E. N. & Merrill, J. E. Nature 321, 610–613 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kristensson, K., Holmes, K., Duchala, C. et al. Increased levels of myelin basic protein transcripts gene in virus-induced demyelination. Nature 322, 544–547 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322544a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/322544a0
This article is cited by
-
The Roles of hnRNP Family in the Brain and Brain-Related Disorders
Molecular Neurobiology (2024)
-
Iron supplementation dose for perinatal iron deficiency differentially alters the neurochemistry of the frontal cortex and hippocampus in adult rats
Pediatric Research (2013)
-
Differential exon expression in myelin basic protein transcripts during central nervous system (CNS) remyelination
Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (1990)
-
Errata: Increased levels of myelin basic protein transcripts in virus-induced demyelination
Nature (1986)
