Analysis of teneurins and their interaction proteins: delineation of potential role in reactive astrocytes

• Grant number: 17/15590-9
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2020 - January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Principal Investigator: Cláudio Aparecido Casatti
• Grantee: Cláudio Aparecido Casatti
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Teneurins are classified as type II transmembrane proteins, constituted by four homologues (Ten-1-4), phylogenetically preserved among the species. These proteins are expressed in neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) mainly during neurogenesis, collaborating in the establishment and stabilization of neural circuits. Teneurins establish homophilic interactions among their homologues, as well as heterophilic interactions with integrins, dystroglycans and latrophilins. A recent study developed in our laboratory showed that Ten-2/TCAP-2 is expressed in reactive astrocytes after a mechanical lesion in the cerebral cortex of adult rats, indicating that teneurins also have other functional roles in the CNS. The present research study aims to analyse Ten/TCAP system and its possible interaction proteins in reactive astrocytes in different experimental models, such as neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides, epilepsy induced by pilocarpine and controlled focal cortical ischemia induced by photo thromboembolism, in adult rats. The brain will be collected and submitted to double indirect immunofluorescence to identify reactive astrocytes (glial fibrillar acid protein, GFAP), teneurins, TCAPs and its interaction protein (integrins, dystroglycans and latrophilins) and analysed by confocal microscopy. In addition, specific areas of the CNS will be collected and submitted to RNA or protein extractions in order to analyse the proteins previously mentioned by real-time PCR (qPCR) and western blotting (WB), respectively. The quantitative and semi-quantitative data will be submitted to variance analysis and Tukey's or Bonferroni's post-tests, considering p<0.05 as significant. (AU)