Expression of EGF receptor mRNA in rat nigrostriatal system.
In situ hybridization with a cRNA probe was used to determine the cellular expression of mRNA for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) within the rat dopaminergic nigrostriatal system. Hybridization for EGF-R mRNA was distributed throughout the ventral mesencephalon within cells of the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Unilateral lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine resulted in substantial elimination of EGF-R cRNA hybridization in the ipsilateral substantia nigra and VTA. EGF-R mRNA was also demonstrated within a population of striatal somata, with highest levels of expression detected neonatally. These results indicate that a subpopulation of ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons, as well as striatal perikarya, express the EGF-R and, thus, may be directly responsive to endogenous EGF, transforming growth factor-alpha, or another EGF-R ligand in vivo.
Seroogy
K B
KB
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084, USA.
Numan
S
S
Gall
C M
CM
Lee
D C
DC
Kornblum
H I
HI
D000818:Animals; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D011699:Putamen / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors