Specific regulation of immediate early genes by patterned neuronal activity.
Electrical activity shapes development of the nervous system, presumably in part by regulating gene expression. A set of regulatory genes, immediate early genes (IEGs), which are responsive to a number of extrinsic cellular stimuli have been proposed to play a role in coupling such activity to gene expression. Using a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, we show that in dissociated mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons the expression of two IEGs, c-fos and nur/77, is differentially sensitive to patterns of electrical stimulation. Differences in c-fos activation did not correlate with the peak intracellular calcium [Ca++]i produced by the different stimulation patterns or with residual [Ca++]i following stimulation. However, the net increase in [Ca++]i (calcium time integral) was greater for the pulsed stimulus that activated c-fos (6 impulses/min), compared to the ineffective stimulus (12 impulses/2 min). This system of genes seems suited to mediating the coupling between electrical activity and other functional genes.
Sheng
H Z
HZ
Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Fields
R D
RD
Nelson
P G
PG
D000200:Action Potentials; D000591:Amino Acid Isomerases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005333:Fetus; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016762:Genes, fos; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C539821:NR4A1 protein, human; C539818:Nr4a1 protein, mouse; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000591:Amino Acid Isomerases; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; D002118:Calcium