open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/48164

High expression of MeCP2 in JC virus-infected cells of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy brains

英語

immunohistochemistry

2011-02

Blackwell Publishing

Neuropathology

31(1)

38-41

Mutations of the methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene are a major cause of Rett syndrome. To investigate whether the expression of this gene was related to JC virus (JCV) infection, we examined brains of four progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) patients. JCV infection was confirmed by immunohistochemical labeling with antibodies against JCV VP1, Agnoprotein and large T antigen. MeCP2 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry using a specific polyclonal antibody against MeCP2. In normal brains and uninfected cortices of PML brains, MeCP2 expression was observed in the nuclei of neurons, but not observed in glial and endothelial cell nuclei. In PML brains, however, intense immunolabeling was observed in abnormally enlarged glial nuclei of JCV-infected cells. Double immunolabeling using antibodies against large T antigen (visualized as blue) and MeCP2 (visualised as red) revealed purple JCV infected nuclei, which confirmed that the JCV infected nuclei expressed MeCP2. We conclude that MeCP2 is highly expressed in the JCV infected nuclei of PML brain and these results may provide a new insight into the mechanism which regulates the MeCP2 expression in glial cells by the infection of JCV.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

The definitive version is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com

0919-6544