Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 460, Issue 1, 21 August 2009, Pages 97-101
Neuroscience Letters

Expression and localization of the Parkin Co-Regulated Gene in mouse CNS suggests a role in ependymal cilia function

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2009.05.043Get rights and content

Abstract

Parkin Co-Regulated Gene (PACRG) is a gene that shares a bi-directional promoter with the Parkinson's disease associated gene parkin. The functional role of PACRG is not well understood, although the gene has been associated with parkinsonian syndromes and more recently with eukaryotic cilia and flagella. We investigated the expression of Pacrg in the mouse brain by in situ hybridization and observed robust expression of Pacrg in the cells associated with the lateral, third and fourth ventricle, in addition to the aqueduct of Sylvius and choroid plexus. For all regions of Pacrg expression identified, strong expression was observed in the newborn period and this was maintained into adulthood. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that Pacrg was a component of the ependymal cells and cilia lining the ventricles. Based on our results and the previous association of PACRG homologues with cilia and flagella, we propose that Pacrg is a component of the ependymal cilia and may play an important role in motile cilia development and/or function in the CNS.

Section snippets

Supplementary data

Supplement 1: Widespread expression of Pacrg. Pacrg transcript was detected in the cerebral cortex (A), hippocampus (B) and the cerebellum (C). Adjacent sections analysed with the sense control probe were negative for Pacrg transcript staining (D–F). Orientation of all sections is marked by dorsal (d) and caudal (c) in the cerebral cortex (A). Calibration bar 100 μm.

Supplement 2: Pacrg is highly expressed in divergent CNS nuclei. Pacrg transcript was detected in the oculomotor nucleus (A),

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the assistance of laboratory and animal facility staff. This work was supported in part by National Health & Medical Research Council (Australia) project grants 334349 and 436977 to PJL. GRW is an NHMRC Dora Lush Scholar (384489), PJL is an NHMRC RD Wright Fellow (334346) and MBD is an NHMRC Practitioner Fellow (284520).

References (21)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (15)

  • Crystal structure of human PACRG in complex with MEIG1 reveals roles in axoneme formation and tubulin binding

    2021, Structure
    Citation Excerpt :

    Mouse PACRG is highly abundant in testis and is required for spermiogenesis (Lorenzetti et al., 2004). Loss of PACRG results in hydrocephalus in both PACRG KO and qkv mice (Stephenson et al., 2018; Wilson et al., 2009); PACRG levels are indeed elevated in ependymal cells lining the cerebral ventricles, suggesting that PACRG is required for cilium motility. Knockdown of the two PACRG paralogs in trypanosome, a protozoan parasite, results in paralysis of the flagellum and loss of outer doublet microtubules (Dawe et al., 2005).

  • DNA methylation patterns of protein coding genes and long noncoding RNAs in female schizophrenic patients

    2015, European Journal of Medical Genetics
    Citation Excerpt :

    In addition, hypermethylation of PACRG-AS1 (Fig. 6C) was also found in paranoid SCZ. PACRG-AS1 is the antisense gene of PACRG (Parkin Co-Regulated Gene) which shares a bi-directional promoter with PARKIN gene, whose mutations were the most common cause of early-onset autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease [Taylor et al., 2007, 2012; Wilson et al., 2009]. These antisense transcripts may regulate the expression of corresponding protein coding genes and affect the processes of SCZ.

  • Patched1 haploinsufficiency impairs ependymal cilia function of the quaking viable mice, leading to fatal hydrocephalus

    2011, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
    Citation Excerpt :

    Defective spermatogenesis in qkv males has been attributed to loss of PACRG resulting in an arrest in the final stage of differentiation due to abnormal axoneme structure (Lorenzetti et al., 2004). PACRG expression has also been observed in the ciliated ependymal cells lining the ventricles of the brain (Wilson et al., 2009). Loss of PACRG expression in the ciliated ependymal cells lining the ventricles of the brain has recently been shown to be responsible for the mild hydrocephalic phenotype observed in qkv mice (Wilson et al., 2010).

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text