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Analysis of Steroid‐Induced Genes in the Rat Preoptic Area‐Anterior Hypothalamus Using a Differential‐Display Reverse Transcriptase‐Polymerase Chain Reaction
Author(s) -
Park S.,
Seong J. Y.,
Son G. H.,
Kang S. S.,
Lee S.,
Kim S. R.,
Kim K.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2826.2001.00665.x
Subject(s) - differential display , endocrinology , biology , medicine , hypothalamus , estrous cycle , gene , gene expression , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , messenger rna , complementary dna , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Steroid hormones modulate a variety of physiological functions in the hypothalamus. We attempted to identify steroid‐regulated genes in the rat preoptic area‐anterior hypothalamus by comparing differentially expressed mRNAs. Adult female rats were ovariectomized and, 1 week later, a silastic capsule containing 17β‐oestradiol (180 µg/ml) was subcutaneously implanted. After 2 days, a single injection of progesterone (1 mg) was administered at 10.00 h and rats were killed at 17.00 h on the same day. Differential‐display polymerase chain reaction followed by Northern blot analysis showed that 10 clones were differentially regulated. Using homology search in Genbank, three genes were identified as sodium, potassium‐ATPase β1, protein kinase C‐binding Nell‐homologue protein and evectin‐1. Further characterization of 10 clones showed that the expression patterns were tissue‐specific and differentially regulated during puberty. Among these, mRNAs for protein kinase C‐binding Nell‐homologue protein, evectin‐1 and human CGI‐118 protein‐like gene were induced after vagina opening, and differentially expressed during the oestrous cycle. Taken together, several steroid‐regulated genes identified in the present study may play an important role in regulating hypothalamic functions, including puberty and the oestrous cycle.