title: Regional expression of RGS4 mRNA in human brain.
abstract: Regulators of G-protein signalling (RGS) proteins are a recently discovered class of proteins that modulate G-protein activity. More than 20 RGS proteins have been identified and are expressed throughout the body and brain. In particular, RGS4 appears to regulate dopamine receptor function and has been implicated in several dopamine related diseases, including schizophrenia. This study presents an extensive examination of the regional distribution of RGS4 mRNA in postmortem human brain. Using in situ hybridization, the expression levels of RGS4 mRNA were determined in human hemicoronal (Talairach sections +8 and -20) brain sections. In the rostral slice (Talairach +8) highest levels were found in the inferior frontal cortex, the superior frontal, and the cingulate cortex. Slightly lower levels were found in the insular cortex and inferior temporal cortex. The caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens had lower levels. In the caudal slice (-20), the cortical layers showed the highest levels, with moderate levels observed in the parahippocampal gyrus, low levels in the CA-pyramidal region, and almost undetectable levels in the thalamus. In the frontal cortex a dense band was apparent near one of the inner layers of the cortex. In conclusion, RGS4 mRNA distribution in human postmortem tissue from normal persons was very dense in most cortical layers examined, with lower density in the basal ganglia and thalamus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. herdely@mprc.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Holly A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Erdely
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Carol S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Rosalinda C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tamminga
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D020710:RGS Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D020710:RGS Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C098799:RGS4 protein