title: Species differences in brain pre-pro-neurotensin/neuromedin N mRNA distribution: the expression pattern in mice resembles more closely that of primates than rats.
abstract: We have used in situ hybridization to determine the distribution of pre-pro-neurotensin/neuromedin N (NT/N) mRNA in the brain of mice and rats. In rats and mice, expression was observed in the lateral septal nucleus, nucleus accumbens, medial preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, lateral hypothalamus, central amygdaloid nucleus and the subicilum. However, several differences in the NT/N mRNA distribution were observed between rats and mice in other brain areas. In mice, NT/N expression was detected in the subthalamic nucleus and geniculate nucleus, whereas expression was not observed in these brain areas in rats. Surprisingly, expression was not observed in mouse mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons and the CA1 area of the hippocampus, areas known to contain NT/N mRNA in the rat brain. Taken together, these results show that although the brain NT/N mRNA distribution largely overlaps in mice and rats, species differences exist in specific brain areas in rodents. Moreover, these data indicate that the distribution in mice resembles most that of primates than rats.
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Simone M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: Afke F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Terwisscha van Scheltinga
authors.forename: Annemarie J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: J Peter H
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Burbach
authors.forename: Marten P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Smidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011323:Primates; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin; C052457:neuromedin N precursor; C114036:neurotensin type 1 receptor; D009496:Neurotensin; D004298:Dopamine