Galectin-3 expression is correlated with abnormal prion protein accumulation in murine scrapie.

To investigate the involvement of galectin-3 in the process of neurodegeneration in prion diseases, the expression and cellular localization of galectin-3 in the brain were studied in scrapie, a mouse model of prion disease. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses showed that the expression of galectin-3 protein and mRNA was induced in scrapie-affected brains, particularly at the time when the abnormal prion protein PrPSc began to accumulate in the brains. Immunohistochemically, immunostaining for galectin-3 was found mainly in B4-isolectin-positive cells (presumably activated microglia/macrophages), but not in astrocytes. Galectin-3 immunoreactivity was localized mainly in areas of PrPSc accumulation and neuronal death in scrapie-infected brains. These findings suggest that the expression of galectin-3 by activated microglia/macrophages in prion disease correlates with abnormal prion protein accumulation.