EXPRESSION OF SYNAPSIN-I GENE IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF DIFFERENTIATING RAT CORTICAL-NEURONS

Synapsin I is a neuron-specific protein which is present in two isofor ms, Ia and Ib. In the last few years this protein has been demonstrate d to play a central role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. In this paper the developmental expression o f this protein has been investigated in primary neuronal cultures from fetal rat brain cortices. The presence of thyroid hormone in the cult ure medium stimulates an early expression of the protein without exert ing any effect at the level of mRNA transcription and accumulation. Th ese observations implicate a T3-dependent regulation of this neuron-sp ecific gene at the level of mRNA translation.