Altered expression of ZnT10 in Alzheimer's disease brain

PLoS One. 2013 May 31;8(5):e65475. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065475. Print 2013.

Abstract

There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that metal homeostasis is dysregulated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although expression levels of several transporters belonging the SLC30 family, which comprises predominantly zinc transporters, have been studied in the AD brain, SLC30A10 (ZnT10) has not been studied in this context. To determine if dysregulated expression of ZnT10, which may transport both Zn and Mn, could be a factor that contributes to AD, we investigated if there were differences in ZnT10 mRNA levels in specimens of frontal cortex from AD patients and controls and also if brain tissue from the APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mouse model showed abnormal levels of ZnT10 mRNA expression. Our results show that ZnT10 is significantly (P<0.01) decreased in the frontal cortex in AD. Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in ZnT10 mRNA levels in the APP/PS1-Tg mice compared with wild-type controls (P<0.01). Our results suggest that this dysregulation in ZnT10 could further contribute to disease progression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cation Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Cation Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / metabolism
  • Frontal Lobe / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Zinc Transporter 8

Substances

  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • SLC30A8 protein, human
  • Zinc Transporter 8