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First published online 24 October 2006
doi: 10.1242/jcs.03222

Journal of Cell Science 119, 4634-4643 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
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Research Article

Junctional expression of the prion protein PrPC by brain endothelial cells: a role in trans-endothelial migration of human monocytes

Pedro Viegas1,2,3,4, Nathalie Chaverot1,2,3,4, Hervé Enslen5,6,7, Nicolas Perrière1,2,3,4, Pierre-Olivier Couraud1,2,3,4 and Sylvie Cazaubon1,2,3,4,*

1 Institut Cochin, Département Biologie Cellulaire, Paris 75014, France
2 Inserm, U567, Paris 75014, France
3 CNRS, UMR 8104, Paris 75014, France
4 Université Paris 5, Faculté de Médecine René Descartes, UM 3, Paris 75014, France
5 Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris 75005, France
6 Inserm, U536, Paris 75005, France
7 Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC-Paris 6), Paris 75005, France

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: cazaubon{at}cochin.inserm.fr)

Accepted 21 August 2006

The conversion of prion protein (PrPC) to its protease-resistant isoform is involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Although PrPC is highly expressed in neurons and other cell types, its physiological function still remains elusive. Here, we describe how we evaluated its expression, subcellular localization and putative function in brain endothelial cells, which constitute the blood-brain barrier. We detected its expression in microvascular endothelium in mouse brain sections and at intercellular junctions of freshly isolated brain microvessels and cultured brain endothelial cells of mouse, rat and human origin. PrPC co-localized with the adhesion molecule platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1); moreover, both PrPC and PECAM-1 were present in raft membrane microdomains. Using mixed cultures of wild-type and PrPC-deficient mouse brain endothelial cells, we observed that PrPC accumulation at cell-cell contacts was probably dependent on homophilic interactions between adjacent cells. Moreover, we report that anti-PrPC antibodies unexpectedly inhibited transmigration of U937 human monocytic cells as well as freshly isolated monocytes through human brain endothelial cells. Significant inhibition was observed with various anti-PrPC antibodies or blocking anti-PECAM-1 antibodies as control. Our results strongly support the conclusion that PrPC is expressed by brain endothelium as a junctional protein that is involved in the trans-endothelial migration of monocytes.

Key words: Prion protein, Brain endothelial cell, Junctional protein, Transmigration, Monocytes




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