Different developmental profiles of the expression of preprosomatostatin and preprotachykinin-A mRNAs in rat SCN neurons.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a central circadian oscillator of mammals, contains various peptides arranged in the compartment specific manner. In the present study, we examined a distinct population of neurons in the central part of the SCN. In situ hybridization histochemistry has demonstrated that these neurons coexpressed both preprosomatostatin (PPSS) and preprotachykinin A (PPT-A) mRNAs, but the developmental expression profiles were different among two. PPSS mRNA first appeared in the SCN at postnatal day 1(P1). The intensity and number of PPSS mRNA signals increased and peaked at P7-P14 and gradually decreased as to adult age (P56). However, PPT-A mRNA-positive appeared late at P7, and gradually increased up to P56. These findings suggest that neurons encoding both the PPSS and PPTA genes first express PPSS and then express PPT-A at a later stage of maturation.
Nakamura
T
T
Department of Anatomy and Brain Science, Kobe University School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan.
Shigeyoshi
Y
Y
Maebayashi
Y
Y
Yamaguchi
S
S
Yagita
K
K
Okamura
H
H
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D011247:Pregnancy; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000235:genetics*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000235:genetics*
D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015320:Tachykinins; C044206:preprotachykinin; D013004:Somatostatin