Alteration of dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1) in brain tissue from scrapie-139A infected mice

Objective To investigate the alteration and its mechanism of dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1) in the brain tissue from scrapie-139A infected mice. Methods Western Blot assay was conducted to analyze the expression level and S-Nitrosylation level of Drp1. Immunofluorescent analyses was performed to study the distribution of Drp1 in brain tissue cells. Results The level of Drp1 in the brains of scrapie 139A infected mice at terminal stage slightly decreased. Dynamic analysis of Drp1 levels in 139A infected mice brains showed the same decline trend. The level of S-nitrosylated Drp1 increased remarkably in the brains of scrapie infected mice at terminal stage. Immunofluorescent analyses showed that Drp1 colocalized with the NeuN-positive cells in the brains of both normal and scrapie infected mice at terminal stage. Conclusion Drp1 was mainly distributed in neurons of the central nervous system, and in the brain tissues of either normal mice orscrapie-infected mice, Drp1 might adjust the fission of the mitochondria through the alteration of its distribution and/or protein modification after translation.