Cellular localisation of neurotransmitter mRNAs in striatal grafts.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
W Wisden
Publications and source records attributed to W Wisden.
The GABAA receptor family: molecular and functional diversity.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Differential distribution of GABAA receptor mRNAs in bovine cerebellum--localization of alpha 2 mRNA in Bergmann glia layer.
Using in situ hybridization histochemistry, we have demonstrated that 3 alpha subunit mRNAs of the GABAA receptor are present in different cell populations of the bovine cerebellum. While the alpha 1 mRNA is the most abundant and is present in granule cells, Purkinje cells and stellate/basket cells, the alpha 2 mRNA appears to be confined to the Bergmann glial cell layer. The alpha 3 mRNA is only expressed in the Golgi cells. This differential distribution of GABAA receptor mRNA subtypes suggests a previously unrecognized complexity of GABAergic transmission in the cerebellum.
Animals↗
Cellular localisation of somatostatin mRNA and neuropeptide Y mRNA in foetal striatal tissue grafts.
Using in situ nucleic acid hybridisation histochemistry, we have studied the expression of somatostatin mRNA and neuropeptide Y mRNA in grafts of embryonic striatal neurones implanted into the ibotenic acid-lesioned rat neostriatum. Tissue sections of the grafted striatum were incubated with either 32P- or 35S-labelled complementary oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes specific for somatostatin mRNA and neuropeptide Y mRNA, exposed with X-ray film and dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. Neither somatostatin mRNA nor neuropeptide Y mRNA was detectable in the ibotenic acid-lesioned striatum indicating a pronounced degeneration of somatostatin- and neuropeptide Y-containing neurones. However, in the striatal grafts the levels of somatostatin mRNA and neuropeptide Y mRNA were substantially increased over those in the control intact striata. The results suggest that in the grafts, somatostatin mRNA and neuropeptide Y mRNA were expressed in a higher proportion of primordial striatal neurones and there was also an increased level of expression of each neuropeptide gene per individual neurone (reflecting a higher synthetic activity of such neurones) compared to the intact mature striatum. These data demonstrate the sensitivity of the in situ hybridisation technique to study patterns of gene expression in developing neuronal tissues after transplantation.
Animals↗
Localization of GABAA receptor alpha-subunit mRNAs in relation to receptor subtypes.
The distribution of 3 GABAA receptor alpha-subunit mRNAs in various regions of bovine brain has been investigated using in situ hybridization. Whereas the alpha 2- and alpha 3-transcripts are of low abundance in all regions except striatum, the alpha 1-transcript is considerably enriched in the inferior colliculus, olfactory bulb and substantia nigra, and appears to be correlated with benzodiazepine type I receptor localization.
Animals↗
Structural and functional basis for GABAA receptor heterogeneity.
When gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in vertebrate brain, binds to its receptor it activates a chloride channel. Neurotransmitter action at the GABAA receptor is potentiated by both benzodiazepines and barbiturates which are therapeutically useful drugs (reviewed in ref. 1). There is strong evidence that this receptor is heterogeneous. We have previously isolated complementary DNAs encoding an alpha- and a beta-subunit and shown that both are needed for expression of a functional GABAA receptor. We have now isolated cDNAs encoding two additional GABAA receptor alpha-subunits, confirming the heterogeneous nature of the receptor/chloride channel complex and demonstrating a molecular basis for it. These alpha-subunits are differentially expressed within the CNS and produce, when expressed with the beta-subunit in Xenopus oocytes, receptor subtypes which can be distinguished by their apparent sensitivity to GABA. Highly homologous receptor subtypes which differ functionally seem to be a common feature of brain receptors.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Distinct GABAA receptor alpha subunit mRNAs show differential patterns of expression in bovine brain.
Specific oligonucleotide probes have been used to visualize the regional and cellular distribution of the mRNAs encoding three structurally distinct GABAA receptor alpha subunits in bovine brain. In situ hybridization analysis showed that these transcripts differ in distribution and in relative abundance. In frontal cortex the alpha 1 and alpha 2 transcripts are most abundant in layers II-IV, whereas the alpha 3 mRNA is most abundant in layers V and VI. In the hippocampal complex, the alpha transcripts are differentially distributed in the entorhinal cortex and subiculum. The alpha 2 transcript is enriched in the dentate gyrus and CA4/CA3 regions of the hippocampus. In the cerebellum, essentially only the alpha 1 transcript is detectable in granule cells, Purkinje cells, and stellate/basket cells. These results suggest that the different alpha subunits represent components of distinct GABAA receptor subtypes.
Animals↗