Elsevier

Neuroscience Research

Volume 23, Issue 4, November 1995, Pages 377-382
Neuroscience Research

Distribution patterns of mRNAs encoding glycine receptor channels in the developing rat spinal cord

https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-0102(95)00972-VGet rights and content

Abstract

The developmental changes in the expression of mRNAs encoding the α1 and α2 subunits of inhibitory glycine receptors in the spinal cord of fetal and postnatal rats were examined by in situ hybridization. During embryonic periods (E11–18), the mantle zone was scarce in the α1 mRNA, but the germinal zone (matrix layer) at E11–14 expressed higher levels of the message. At postnatal day 0 (P0), the α1 signals became manifested throughout the gray matter of the spinal cord. The intensities of the signals were increased to reach a maximal level at P21. By contrast, the spinal tissues at P0 exhibited the highest levels of α1 mRNA, which decreased with the postnatal development. In P50 rats, the α2 mRNA was barely expressed in the ventral horn, but a significant number of grains could still be detectable in a population of cells in the dorsal horn. During postnatal development from P0 to P10, the spinal tissues were rich in the α1 and α2 mRNAs, both of which were detected in the presumed motoneurons. The coexistence of the two subunits in single neurons might correlate with the modification of the glycine receptor function during the development of the spinal cord.

References (27)

Cited by (0)

View full text