Variations in prion protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNAs in the brain of scrapie-infected newborn mouse

¹ Laboratoire de Neuropathologie Expérimentale et Neurovirologie, CRSSA, DSV/DPTE, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, B.P. 6, 92265 Fontenay aux Roses Cedex
and² Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

To begin to understand the molecular basis of cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease recently described in young children, the expression of prion protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNAs was investigated during the development of the brain of scrapie-infected newborn mice. Changes in the time course of expression were identified by Northern blot quantification between days 1 and 172. Although scrapie-infected and control animals showed no detectable changes in brain development (first 56 days of life), GFAP mRNAs were found to increase significantly as early as day 84. A 10-fold increase in the level of GFAP mRNA was observed in brain between day 112 and death (day 172).