Psychiatry related information on Sspo

• Placental expression of SCO-spondin during mouse and human development [1].

High impact information on Sspo

• From the ClustalW alignment of bovine (Bos taurus), human (Homo sapiens), murine (Mus musculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus) proteins, a consensus sequence for mammalian SCO-spondin was determined and further validated with the dog (Canis familiaris) SCO-spondin sequence [2].
• With the advance of the systematic whole genomes sequencing, we were able to determine the SCO-spondin amino acid sequence in four mammalian species using the Wise2 software [2].
• A specific secretion of the subcommissural organ was named SCO-spondin, regarding its marked homology with developmental proteins of the thrombospondin superfamily (presence of thrombospondin type 1 repeats) [3].
• The ependymal cells of the subcommissural organ and SCO-spondin secretion are suspected to play a crucial role in cerebrospinal fluid flow and/or homeostasis [3].
• Moreover, agenesis of the SCO is associated with downregulation of SCO-spondin expression as early as E14.5 of embryonic development [4].

Biological context of Sspo

• The mouse SCO-spondin coding sequence was searched by alignement of the coding bovine SCO-spondin sequence with the mouse whole genome shotgun (WGS) supercontig (NW 000250) [5].
• In addition, the mouse SCO-spondin gene was located at chromosome 6, between marker D6Mit352 and D6Mit119, in a conserved syntenic region [5].
• The presence of these domains strongly suggests the SCO-spondin involvement in cellular events occurring during placental development and physiology [1].
• In order to define this new role of SCO-spondin during development, we demonstrated its expression at relevant steps of gestation in human and mouse placenta, using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western-blot experiments [1].
• The analysis of this consensus sequence is consistent with a very high degree of conservation in the amino acids composition and multidomain organization of SCO-spondin in mammals [2].

Anatomical context of Sspo

• SCO-spondin is specifically expressed in the subcommissural organ (SCO), a secretory ependymal differentiation lining the roof of the third ventricular cavity of the brain [5].
• When released into the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF), SCO-spondin aggregates and forms Reissner's fiber (RF), a structure present in the central canal of the spinal cord [5].

Associations of Sspo with chemical compounds

• Although the cultured SCO displayed dopamine receptors, dopamine had no apparent effect on the expression of the SCO-spondin gene/protein or on the release of RF-glycoproteins (SCO-spondin included) by SCO explants, suggesting that dopamine affects the function(s) of the SCO differently from the secretion of RF-glycoproteins [6].

References