Differential expression of immediate-early genes, c-fos and zif268, in the visual cortex of young rats: effects of a noradrenergic neurotoxin on their expression.
We investigated the expression pattern of two immediate-early genes, zif268 and c-fos, under various visual conditions using immunohistochemical and northern blot analysis in the visual cortex of young rats. The basal expression of c-fos was low and was further reduced by dark rearing that lasted for one week. A marked and transient increase was induced upon visual stimulation applied immediately after dark rearing. Zif268 showed a relatively high basal level. Its expression was reduced by dark rearing of the animals, but returned rapidly to the basal expression level following the introduction of light. Administration of N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine, a selective noradrenergic neurotoxin, suppressed the basal expression of c-fos messenger RNA. The response of c-fos to photo-stimulation was also significantly lower in the visual cortex of N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine-treated young rats. In contrast, no significant change in zif268 expression was detected between normal and N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine-treated animals. These findings suggest that differential expression of these immediate-early genes is involved in the activity-dependent regulation of cortical function. One possibility is that the noradrenergic system controls cortical function, including plasticity, by modifying the expression of c-fos.
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
Y
Y
Yamada
Y
Y
Hada
K
K
Imamura
N
N
Mataga
Y
Y
Watanabe
M
M
Yamamoto
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D003624:Darkness / Q000009:adverse effects; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D015870:Gene Expression; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008297:Male; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D001596:Benzylamines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C012102:DSP 4; D009638:Norepinephrine