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Expression of the mRNA for τ Proteins During Brain Development and in Cultured Neurons and Astroglial Cells
Author(s) -
Couchie D.,
CharrièreBertrand C.,
Nunez J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1988.tb02494.x
Subject(s) - biology , messenger rna , astrocyte , complementary dna , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , tubulin , neuroglia , in situ hybridization , ontogeny , microtubule , gene , genetics , endocrinology , central nervous system
Two τ cDNA probes of 1.6 and 0.3 kilobases (kb) have been used to study the expression of the τ mRNAs during mouse brain development and in highly homogeneous primary cultures of neurons and astrocytes. (1) Whatever the stage, a 6‐kb mRNA was detected with the two probes. In the astrocytes a 6‐kb mRNA hybridized clearly only with the 1.6‐kb probe. (2) During brain development the abundance of τ mRNA increases from a late fetal stage (— 4 days) until birth, remains high until 6 days postnatal, and then markedly decreases to reach very low values in adulthood. Such a marked decrease in the abundance of τ mRNA parallels that of α‐tubulin mRNA. These data suggest that: (1) depending on the stage of development and on the cell type (neurons or astrocytes) τ mRNAs of the same size encode several τ proteins differing in molecular weight: several τ proteins are expressed either during early stages of development (juvenile τ proteins of 48 kilodaltons) or in adulthood (mature τ proteins of 50–70 kilodaltons) or are specific of the astrocyte (83 kilodaltons). (2) The expression of the two major components of axonal microtubules, tubulin and τ proteins, seems to be developmentally coordinated.