FIGURE 5.
Synapse marker gene transcription. The impact of systemic bacterial infection on synapse-associated gene transcription in ME7 prion mice at 12-wpi (A–C) and at 16-wpi (D–F) 4 weeks after treatment injection with saline or S. typhimurium SL3261 (1 × 106 cfu, i.p.) compared to NBH-injected control mice. (A) Syp mRNA expression is not reduced in ME7 prion mice at 12-wpi compared to NBH-injected control mice. Grm1 (B) and Grin2a (C) mRNA expression is significantly reduced following infection in ME7 prion mice compared to NBH-injected control mice. Syp (D) and Grm1 (E) mRNA expression is significantly reduced at in ME7 prion mice at 16-wpi following infection compared to NBH-injected control mice. Grin2a (F) mRNA expression at 16-wpi remains stable in ME7 prion mice, even after infection, compared to NBH-injected control mice. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 vs. NBH + saline using one-way ANOVA with Holm-Sidak test for multiple comparisons; n = 4–5/group.