Neuron-specific and developmental regulation of the synapsin II gene expression in transgenic mice.
Synapsin II, a major phosphoprotein of synaptic vesicles, is believed to function in neurotransmitter release as well as in synapse formation. The expression of the synapsin II gene is neuron-specific, and correlates temporally with synaptogenesis. To understand the mechanisms by which the expression of the synapsin II gene is regulated in vivo, we generated transgenic mice carrying a 5.1-kb 5'-flanking sequence of the murine synapsin II gene fused to the firefly luciferase reporter gene. The synapsin II-luciferase transgene is specifically expressed in neural tissues, such as brain and spinal cord, but not in non-neural tissues. Throughout the brain, the expression of the transgene is widely distributed, and restricted only to neuronal cells. Moreover, the expression of the transgene is developmentally regulated, with a temporal profile similar to that of endogenous synapsin II expression. These results indicate that the 5.1-kb flanking sequence of the murine synapsin II gene contains cis-regulatory elements that are required for directing neuron-specific and synaptogenesis-regulated expression in vivo.
Chin
L S
LS
Departments of Pharmacology, Curriculum in Neurobiology, Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA.
Fu
Q
Q
Kachinsky
A M
AM
Jabren
G
G
Niu
Y
Y
Li
L
L
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008156:Luciferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D016704:Synapsins / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D019076:Transgenes / Q000502:physiology
D000906:Antibodies; D016704:Synapsins; D008156:Luciferases