Glycosylation-related genes are variably expressed depending on the differentiation state of a bioaminergic neuronal cell line: implication for the cellular prion protein.

A striking feature of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is the heterogeneity of its glycoforms, whose contribution to PrP(C) function has yet to be defined. Using the 1C11 neuronal bioaminergic differentiation model and a glycomics approach, we show here a correlation between differential PrP(C) N-glycosylations in 1C11(5-HT) serotonergic and 1C11(NE) noradrenergic cells compared to their 1C11 precursor cells and a variation of the glycogenome expression status in these cells. In particular, expression of genes involved in N-glycan synthesis or in the modeling of chondroitin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans appeared to be modulated. Our results highlight that, the expression of glycosylation-related genes is regulated during bioaminergic neuronal differentiation, consistent with a participation of glycoconjugates in neuronal development and plasticity. A neuronal regulation of glycosylation processes may have direct implications on some neurospecific functions of PrP(C) and may participate in specific brain targeting of prion strains.