EXPRESSION OF MESSENGER-RNA ENCODING A PARANEOPLASTIC CEREBELLAR DEGENERATION-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN IN THE RAT HIPPOCAMPUS

The PCD17 protein is a paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD)-as sociated neural autoantigen which is recognized by autoantibodies in s era of PCD patients. The localization of the PCD 17 mRNA was examined by in situ hybridization histochemistry using a PCD17 cRNA probe. In t he cerebellum, the localization of the transcript was in agreement wit h the distribution of PCD17-immunoreactivity. On the other hand, inten se hybridization signals were detected in most of cells in the hippoca mpus in which notable PCD17-immunoreactivity was undetected. These obs ervations suggest that some negative translational or post-transcripti onal mechanisms of the PCD 17 mRNA may be involved in neurons of the h ippocampus.