Lack of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand but presence of its receptors in the human brain

Jan Dörr; Ingo Bechmann; Sonia Waiczies; Orhan Aktas; Henning Walczak; Peter H Krammer; Robert Nitsch; Frauke Zipp

doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.22-04-j0001.2002

Lack of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand but presence of its receptors in the human brain

J Neurosci. 2002 Feb 15;22(4):RC209. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.22-04-j0001.2002.

Authors

Jan Dörr¹, Ingo Bechmann, Sonia Waiczies, Orhan Aktas, Henning Walczak, Peter H Krammer, Robert Nitsch, Frauke Zipp

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroimmunology, Charité Neuroscience Research Center, 10098 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Apoptosis mediated by members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-nerve growth factor superfamily plays a crucial role in the interaction of the nervous and the immune system. On the one hand, it is involved in the defense mechanisms of the brain, the immune privilege. On the other hand, it is involved in the induction of glial-neuronal cell death in neuroinflammatory diseases. Here, we show that in contrast to the other known death ligands, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is not constitutively expressed in the human brain, whereas both apoptosis-mediating and apoptosis-blocking TRAIL receptors are found on neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Thus, the brain differs from other immune-privileged organs, such as the placenta, with the TRAIL receptor-TRAIL system not being part of the immune privilege of the brain. Conversely, this death receptor-ligand system might well play an important role in T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases of the CNS such as multiple sclerosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibody Specificity
Apoptosis
Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
Blotting, Western
Brain / metabolism*
Brain / pathology
Brain Chemistry
Cell Line
Epilepsy / metabolism
GPI-Linked Proteins
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Membrane Glycoproteins / analysis
Membrane Glycoproteins / deficiency*
Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
Placenta / chemistry
Placenta / cytology
Placenta / metabolism
RNA, Messenger / analysis
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / analysis
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / genetics
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / metabolism*
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 10c
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / deficiency*
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics

Substances

Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
GPI-Linked Proteins
Membrane Glycoproteins
RNA, Messenger
Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 10c
TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
TNFRSF10A protein, human
TNFRSF10B protein, human
TNFRSF10C protein, human
TNFSF10 protein, human
Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha