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Published online March 31, 2008
doi:10.1083/jcb.200712039
The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol. 181, No. 1, 37-41
The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525 $30.00
© 2008 Van Damme et al.
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 Progranulin functions as a neurotrophic factor to regulate neurite outgrowth and enhance neuronal survival

Philip Van Damme1,2,3, Annelies Van Hoecke1,3, Diether Lambrechts3,4, Peter Vanacker1,2, Elke Bogaert1,3, John van Swieten5, Peter Carmeliet3,4, Ludo Van Den Bosch1,3, and Wim Robberecht1,2,3

1 Laboratory of Neurobiology, 2 Department of Neurology, 3 Department for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, and 4 Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
5 Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Correspondence to Philip Van Damme: philip.vandamme{at}med.kuleuven.be

Recently, mutations in the progranulin (PGRN) gene were found to cause familial and apparently sporadic frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTLD). Moreover, missense changes in PGRN were identified in patients with motor neuron degeneration, a condition that is related to FTLD. Most mutations identified in patients with FTLD until now have been null mutations. However, it remains unknown whether PGRN protein levels are reduced in the central nervous system from such patients. The effects of PGRN on neurons also remain to be established. We report that PGRN levels are reduced in the cerebrospinal fluid from FTLD patients carrying a PGRN mutation. We observe that PGRN and GRN E (one of the proteolytic fragments of PGRN) promote neuronal survival and enhance neurite outgrowth in cultured neurons. These results demonstrate that PGRN/GRN is a neurotrophic factor with activities that may be involved in the development of the nervous system and in neurodegeneration.

Abbreviations used in this paper: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; AM, acetyoxymethyl; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; FTLD, frontotemporal lobe dementia; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; GRN, granulin; NF-H, neurofilament heavy chain; PGRN, progranulin; SLPI, secreted leucocyte protease inhibitor.


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