Expression profile of Lgi1 gene in mouse brain during development

Mutations in LGI1 were described in patients with autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features (ADPEAF), and recent clinical findings have implicated LGI1 in human brain development. However, the precise role of LGI1 in epileptogenesis remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the expression pattern of Lgi1 in mice brain during development and in adult animals. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification and Western blot experiments showed a relative low expression during intrauterine stages, increasing until adulthood. In addition, we did not find significant differences between left and right hemispheres. The hippocampus presented higher levels of Lgi1 expression when compared to the neocortex and the cerebellum of adult animals; however, these results did not reach statistical significance. This study was the first to determine a specific profile of Lgi1 gene expression during central nervous system development, which suggests a possible inhibitory function in latter stages of development. In addition, we did not find differences in hemispheric expression that could explain the predominance of left-sided abnormalities in patients with ADPEAF.