Induction of multiple immediate early genes in rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus after stress.
We have previously demonstrated that stress causes a rapid and transient elevation in the expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs) c-fos and the members of the jun gene family in the brain. Here we demonstrate the effect of stress on the expression of fra-1, fra-2 and recently characterized IEGs encoding zinc finger containing proteins. Capsaicin-induced stress caused a rapid and transient induction of NGFI-A, NGFI-B, fra-2 and TIS11 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. The NGFI-A mRNA levels were also slightly increased in the cerebral cortex and striatum. The expression of fra-1, NGFI-C, egr-3 and Nurr1 did not show any change. The time course of the induction of NGFI-A, NGFI-B, fra-2 and TIS11 was similar to that previously observed with c-fos and the members of the jun family. The present results suggest that NGFI-A, NGFI-B, fra-2 and TIS11 mediate some of the stress-induced changes of the PVN at the level of gene expression. Although the genes of the NGFI/egr family encode structurally similar proteins, they seem to be regulated differentially and thus have diverse roles in regulating gene expression in the brain.
Honkaniemi
J
J
Department of Neurology, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121.
Kononen
J
J
Kainu
T
T
Pyykönen
I
I
Pelto-Huikko
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes