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. 2011 Sep 14;6(9):e24609. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024609

Figure 5. A biphasic model for augurin activity and CNS dysinhibition.

Figure 5

Normal choroid plexus epithelia express Ecrg4 and contain significant 14 kDa augurin protein that is in an inhibitory conformation. The unprocessed peptide is contained in 3 compartments (1) intracellular vesicles (i.e. punctate intracellular staining in Figure 1) (2) near the ventricular cell surface (i.e. polarized apical staining of cells in Figure 1 and (3) tethered at the cell surface (i.e. Figure 1B). Upon injury, the sudden release and processing at the cell surface is followed by release from intracellular stores as a “panic signal” to indicate systemic injury. The initial pro-inflammatory response then shuts down Ecrg4 gene expression for at least 1 to 3 days post-injury. Therefore, during the initial phase of injury, its normal, constitutively inhibitory functions are absent and so repair cells proliferate. As gene expression returns, quiescence is restored and homeostasis re-established.