Proteomic study of the rat hippocampus after injection of Aβ(1-42)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most widespread types of dementia. The study of AD in the early stages in human is unattainable and hence, most studies are constrained to post-mortem brain tissues. Therefore, studying the animal model of AD in order to understand the underlying mechanism and evaluate the molecular processes involved in human form of the disease is important. In this study, with the help of proteomics and bioinformatics, we have studied the proteome of rat hippocampus after injection of Aβ(1- 42) and analyzed the data with clustering method. Proteins were extracted from the normal (N) and AD (A) rats which have been injected with Aβ(1-42). Proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Gels were stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue to visualize the protein spots. Proteins in two group samples were analyzed with bioinformatics software's and identified with mass Spectrometry. Bioinformatics analysis of two-dimensional electrophoretic gels indicated 111 specific proteins belonging to group N and 67 newly expressed proteins induced by Aβ(1-42) injection. Changes at the molecular level were statistically analyzed by clustering and determined groups of proteins with altered expression were categorized in metabolic and regulatory clusters. Identified proteins in rat hippocampus with AD were similar to human form of the disease. Despite the differences between the human and rat ADs, the study of AD can be established with a rat model of the disease. Injection of Aβ(1-42) had also reflected changes at the level of proteins, associated with changes in protein conformation occurring in the disease with some alteration in cellular mechanism.

Keywords:

Alzheimer’s disease , Amyloid Beta , Proteomics , Bioinformatics