title: Experience-dependent expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in mouse brain.
abstract: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), a template-independent DNA polymerase, contributes to antigen receptor diversity in lymphocytes. Using in situ hybridization, we found that tdt is expressed within neurons of the adult mouse brain. tdt mRNA was localized within pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus, granule and polymorphic cells in the dentate gyrus, Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum, and cortical cells. Increased levels of tdt mRNA in the hippocampus, neocortex, and cerebellum were associated with rearing C57BL/6 mice, but not DBA/2 mice, in enriched environments. Unlike wild types (WT), tdt (-/-) mice did not show improvement in spatial learning and memory as a result of rearing in enriched environments. These results suggest that tdt may be involved in learning and memory saving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931, USA. spena@upraed.upr.clu.edu
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peña De Ortiz
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colón
authors.forename: Yarimar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Carrasquillo
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Yuri I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Arshavsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D015152:Blotting, Northern / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004777:Environment; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase