title: Biphasic expression of activating transcription factor-3 in neurons after cerebral infarction.
abstract: It has been demonstrated that some of immediate early genes such as c-Jun are induced immediately and transiently following focal cerebral ischemia. Here we newly characterize the activating transcription factor (ATF)-3 as a focal ischemia associated immediate early gene. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we compared the expression profile of ATF-3 with those of ATF-2 and c-Jun after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Focal cerebral ischemia induced two temporal and spatial patterns of ATF-3 expression. Early and transient induction of ATF-3 mRNA was observed in the core and margins of the cortex immediately after MCA occlusion. Late-onset and prolonged expression of ATF-3 mRNA and its protein were specifically identified in the peri-infarct cortex and thalamus where neurons survive at least 1 month. The expression profiles of ATF-3 and c-Jun were virtually similar, but c-Jun expression was also observed in other regions of the brain in control rats. Expression of ATF-2 was ubiquitously seen in neuronal cells throughout the brain in normal rats, but was suppressed in ischemic regions. Double immunohistochemical labeling revealed concurrent expression of ATF-3 and phospho-c-Jun in neurons. We conclude that the transcription factor ATF-3 is a suitable marker of neurons subjected to ischemic insult directly and indirectly, and that cooperative works of ATF-3 and c-Jun may be crucial triggers of various transcriptional responses to the ischemic insult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585 Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: Mitsuyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Saya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakagomi
authors.forename: Michinari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiyama
mesh_terms: D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3; C497107:Atf2 protein, rat; C497108:Atf3 protein, rat; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors