Co-expression of tyrosine hydroxylase messenger RNA 1 and 2 in human ventral mesencephalon revealed by digoxigenin- and biotin-labelled oligodeoxyribonucleotides.
In situ hybridization experiments, using oligodeoxyribonucleotides specific for the two major expressed human tyrosine hydroxylase mRNAs, were performed on human brain sections at the level of the mesencephalon. The specificity of the probes was ascertained by Northern blot experiments carried out with independently in vitro synthesized human tyrosine hydroxylase mRNAs. For in situ hybridization experiments, oligodeoxyribonucleotides were labelled with nucleotides tagged with digoxigenin or biotin molecules. The hybridized oligonucleotides were detected by antibodies coupled with peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, which yield, with appropriate substrates, brown and purple products, respectively. The simultaneous detection of the two mRNAs with digoxigeninated and biotinylated probes revealed that these two mRNAs are co-expressed in single cells. The purple product obtained with alkaline phosphatase exhibits a discrete distribution within the dopaminergic cells suggesting these mRNAs are associated with sub-cellular structures. Finally, a heterogeneity in the intensity of the labelling of reactive cells with both probes was visualized as well as the expression of the two mRNA species in neurites.
Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, France.
S
S
Dumas
P
P
Horellou
C
C
Helin
J
J
Mallet
D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001710:Biotin; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004076:Digoxigenin; D006801:Humans; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001710:Biotin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D004076:Digoxigenin