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Tafa-2 Plays an Essential Role in Neuronal Survival and Neurobiological Function in Mice

Tafa-2 Plays an Essential Role in Neuronal Survival and Neurobiological Function in Mice

Xiyi Wang, Chunling Shen, Xuejiao Chen, Jinjin Wang, Xiaofang Cui, Yicheng Wang, Hongxin Zhang, Lingyun Tang, Shunyuan Lu, Jian Fei, Zhugang Wang

Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2018 Oct 1;50(10):984-995.

PMID: 30137205

Abstract:

Tafa is a family of small secreted proteins with conserved cysteine residues and restricted expression in the brain. It is composed of five highly homologous genes referred to as Tafa-1 to -5. Among them, Tafa-2 is identified as one of the potential genes responsible for intellectual deficiency in a patient with mild mental retardation. To investigate the biological function of Tafa-2 in vivo, Tafa-2 knockout mice were generated. The mutant mice grew and developed normally but exhibited impairments in spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test and impairments in short- and long-term memory in novel object recognition test, accompanied with increased level of anxiety-like behaviors in open-field test and elevated plus maze test, and decreased level of depression-like behaviors in forced-swim test and tail-suspension test. Further examinations revealed that Tafa-2 deficiency causes severe neuronal reduction and increased apoptosis in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice via downregulation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk pathways. Conformably, the expression levels of CREB target genes including BDNF, c-fos and NF1, and CBP were found to be reduced in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice. Taken together, our data indicate that Tafa-2 may function as a neurotrophic factor essential for neuronal survival and neurobiological functions.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
IAR42413101	TAFA-2 human			Price

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