Gene expression profile of a murin neuroblastoma cell line infected with the prion strain 22L

The underlying pathogenic mechanisms of prion infection are not well characterized. To study the effect of prion infection on gene expression in neuronal cell cultures, a neuroblastoma (N2a) cell clone was infected with either the mouse adapted prion strain 22L or exposed to uninfected brain homogenate as a negative control. Large scale expression analysis was performed using a cDNA microarray chip comprising about 21,000 spotted ESTs. Over hundred genes were identified that are differentially expressed in 22L-infected cells when compared to uninfected cells. Several of the identified changes in gene expression have also been reported for other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer`s disease. Keywords: cDNA arrays, prion, N2a, neuroblastoma cell line, murine A neuroblastoma (N2a) cell clone was infected with either the mouse adapted prion strain 22L or exposed to uninfected brain homogenate as a negative control. Eight replicates including four dye swap experiments have been performed for the comparison of prion infected cells versus control cells.