title: Regional distribution of cells expressing glycine receptor alpha 2 subunit mRNA in the rat brain.
abstract: The alpha 2 subunit of the glycine receptor is expressed transiently in the rat brain during early development suggesting that this subunit may be replaced by the alpha 1 subunit in the adult brain. The expression of glycine receptor alpha 2 subunit mRNA was investigated in the 7-day-old rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry using oligonucleotide probes specific for this subunit. Neurons expressing alpha 2 subunit mRNA were found to be widely and abundantly distributed throughout brain. We compared the distribution of neurons expressing alpha 2 subunit mRNA with that of neurons expressing alpha 1 or beta subunit mRNA. In the lower brainstem, the location of the neurons expressing alpha 2 subunit mRNA was very similar to that of the neurons with alpha 1 or beta subunit mRNA. Neurons expressing beta subunit mRNA were widespread and numerous in the forebrain, where neurons with alpha 1 subunit mRNA were uncommon. The locations of the neurons labeled by the alpha 2 probe were very similar to those of the cells labeled by the beta probe. These findings suggest that the alpha 2 subunit is not only expressed by immature neurons containing the alpha 1 subunit, but is also common to most immature neurons having the glycine receptor. However, it should be noted that several neurons contained beta and/or alpha 1 subunit mRNA but lacked alpha 2 subunit mRNA, suggesting that the glycine receptor is heterogeneous in its composition during brain development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroanatomy, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tohyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000737:chemistry; D005998:Glycine / Q000032:analysis*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000737:chemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D011149:Pons / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D005998:Glycine