A. Lara et al., CHANNEL ACTIVATORS REDUCE THE EXPRESSION OF SODIUM-CHANNEL ALPHA-SUBUNIT MESSENGER-RNA IN DEVELOPING NEURONS, Molecular brain research, 37(1-2), 1996, pp. 116-124
The expression of rat brain sodium channel alpha-subunit(Na+I, Na+II a
nd N-a+III) and beta(1)-subunit mRNAs was examined in rat fetal brain
neurons in culture. A combined technique of reverse transcription and
polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used. Two different PCR primer
sets were designed to obtain simultaneous amplification of the three a
lpha-subunit mRNAs. All three molecules were detected in fetal neurons
but the expression pattern (Na+III > Na+II much greater than Na+I) wa
s different than that observed in adult tissue (Na+II > Na+I > Na+III)
. Expression of the beta(1)-subunit mRNA was detected using a specific
PCR primer set. Doublet bands were amplified, from fetal cells and ad
ult brain mRNA. To get further insight into the molecular mechanism th
at underlie activity dependent plasticity of sodium channels, we studi
ed the effect on the expression of sodium channel subunits mRNA of a 6
0 h incubation of cells in the presence of a scorpion neurotoxin that
blocks channel inactivation. An overall decrease in the expression of
all three alpha-subunit mRNAs was observed whereas the beta(1)-subunit
mRNA was unaffected by the same treatment. When cells were incubated
with the scorpion neurotoxin together with tetrodotoxin, to block Nainflux through channels, the decrease in mRNA expression was not obser
ved. Finally, a 60 h continuous depolarization of cells induced by app
lication of a high concentration KCl solution did not mimic the effect
of the scorpion toxin. These observations suggest that a persistent a
ctivation of the sodium channels is able to down-regulate mRNA express
ion for alpha-subunits but not for the beta(1)-subunit.