title: Phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 immunoreactivity and its protein levels in the gerbil hippocampus during normal aging.
abstract: Phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) mediates neuronal synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, and learning and memory in the hippocampus. In this study, we examined pERK1/2 immunoreactivity and its protein level in the gerbil hippocampus at various ages. In the postnatal month 1 (PM 1) group, very weak pERK1/2 immunoreactivity was detected in the hippocampus. In the CA1 region, pERK1/2 immunoreactivity was considerably increased in the stratum pyramidale in the PM 6 group. Thereafter, pERK1/2 immunoreactivity was decreased. In the CA2/3 region, pERK1/2 immunoreactivity increased in an age-dependent manner until PM 12. Thereafter, numbers of pERK1/2-immunoreactive neurons were decreased. However, in the mossy fiber zone, pERK1/2 immunostaining became stronger with age. In the dentate gyrus, a few pERK1/2-immunoreactive cells were observed until PM 12. In the PM 18 and 24 groups, numbers of pERK1/2-immunoreactive cells were increased, especially in the polymorphic layer. In Western blot analysis, pERK1/2 level in the gerbil hippocampus was increased with age. These results indicate that total pERK1/2 levels are increased in the hippocampus with age. However pERK1/2 immunoreactivity in subregions of the gerbil hippocampus was changed with different pattern during normal aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Institute of Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 200-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Choong Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki-Yeon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Ok Kyu
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Il-Jun
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Eunjoo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Sung Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Moo-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Won
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D010766:Phosphorylation
chemical_list: D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3