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Cellular Localization of Transforming Growth Factor‐α mRNA in Rat Forebrain
Author(s) -
Seroogy Kim B.,
Lundgren Kerstin H.,
Lee David C.,
Guthrie Kathleen M.,
Gall Christine M.
Publication year - 1993
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.1471-4159.1993.tb13403.x
Subject(s) - forebrain , anterior olfactory nucleus , olfactory tubercle , biology , olfactory bulb , neuroscience , tgf alpha , in situ hybridization , endocrinology , central nervous system , receptor , epidermal growth factor , messenger rna , biochemistry , gene
The cellular localization of transforming growth factor‐α (TGFa) mRNA in juvenile and adult rat forebrain was examined using in situ hybridization with a 35 S‐labeled cRNA probe. TGFα cRNA‐labeled neuronal perikarya were distributed across many forebrain regions including the olfactory bulb, caudate‐putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, ventral pallidum, amygdala, hippocam‐pal stratum granulosum and CA3 stratum pyramidale, and piriform, entorhinal, and retrosplenial cortices. TGFα cRNA‐hybridizing cells were also localized to several thalamic nuclei and to the suprachiasmatic, dorsomedial, and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus. In addition, labeled cells were present in regions of white matter including the corpus callosum, anterior commissure, internal and external capsules, optic tract, and lateral olfactory tract. Thus, both neurons and glia appear to synthesize TGFα in normal brain. Hybridization densities were greater in neuronal fields at 2 weeks of age compared with the adult, suggesting a role for TGFα in the development of several forebrain systems. Our results demonstrating the prominent and widespread expression of TGFα mRNA in forebrain, combined with the extremely low abundance of epidermal growth factor mRNA in brain, support the argument that TGFα is the principal endogenous ligand for the epidermal growth factor receptor in normal brain.