. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Apr 1.

Published in final edited form as: Neurochem Int. 2012 Dec 21;62(5):575–594. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.12.006

Table 1.

Potential proteins mediating MeHg-induced neurotoxicity

Protein	Effect	Functions	Reference
3-ketoacid-coenzyme A transferase I	⇓^*	Ketone body metabolism	Vendrell et al., 2007
5′-deiodinase	⇓^#	Thyroid hormone metabolism	Watanabe et al., 2007
ASC cysteine transporter	⇓^#	Cysteine uptake	Shanker et al., 2001
Astrocytic glutamine transporter	⇓^#	Glutamine uptake from synaptic cleft	Yin et al., 2011
Choline acetyl transferase	⇓^#	Acetylcholine synthesis	Kung et al., 1987
Creatine kinase	⇓^#	Energetic metabolism	Glaser et al., 2010
Cytosolic phospholipase A2	⇑^#^*	Hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids (arachidonic acid releasing)	Shanker et al., 2004
Enolase	⇓^#	Glycolitic pathway	Kung et al., 1987
Glutamate transporters	⇓^#	Glutamate uptake	Aschner et al., 1990; Manfroiet al., 2004; Farina et al., 2003a
Glutathione peroxidase 1	⇓^#	Peroxide detoxification	Farina et al., 2009
Glutathione peroxidase 4	⇓^#^*	Peroxide detoxification	Zamolin et al., 2012
Glutathione reductase	⇓⇑^#	Reduction of GSSG to GSH	Farina et al., 2005; Stringari et al., 2008
Monoamine oxidase	⇓^#	dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline metabolism	Beyrouty et al., 2006
Nitric oxide synthase	⇑^#	Nitric oxide synthesis	Herculano et al., 2006
Nrf2 transcription factor	⇑^*	Modulation of antioxidant and phase 2 enzyme expression	Ni et al., 2011
Phosphorylated-cofilin	⇓^*	Reorganization of actin filaments	Vendrell et al., 2010
Non-phosphorylated-cofilin	⇑^*	Reorganization of actin filaments	Vendrell et al., 2010
Selenoprotein W	⇓^*	Not well-identified (antioxidant, response to stress, immunity)	Kim et al., 2005
Thioredoxin reductase	⇓^#	Reduction of thioredoxin (antioxidant effect)	Wagner et al., 2010; Branco et al., 2012
X(AG(-)) cysteine transporter	⇓^#	Cysteine uptake	Shanker et al., 2001

In vitro and in vivo experimental evidences indicate that the activities of several proteins (from neuronal, astrocytic and/or microglial source) are modulated after MeHg exposure, suggesting their role in MeHg-neurotoxicity. The arrows ⇑ or ⇓ mean positive or negative modulator effects, respectively.

indicates that the variable was measured at functional level (i.e. enzyme activity, transporter activity).

indicates that the variable was measured at expression level (protein or mRNA).