EXPRESSION OF MULTIPLE NEUREGULIN TRANSCRIPTS IN POSTNATAL RAT BRAINS

The distribution of neuregulin transcripts in rat brains was studied b y both RNA blotting and in situ hybridization. Our data demonstrate th at multiple neuregulin transcripts are expressed in neurons of the bas al forebrain, the hippocampus, the diencephalon, the cerebellum, the b rainstem, and the spinal cord. Developmental changes in the distributi on of neuregulin transcripts were observed only in the cerebellum and the hippocampus. The intense neuregulin hybridization signals in the b rainstem motor and sensory nuclei and the spinal motor neurons are sug gestive of a functional involvement of neuregulins in motor and sensor y systems. The expression of neuregulins in other parts of the brain a lso indicates that these factors are involved in a variety of central nervous system functions. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.