Rh. Ho et al., PRE-PRO-SOMATOSTATIN MESSENGER-RNA IN THE DEVELOPING RAT SPINAL-CORD WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VENTRAL HORN MOTONEURONS, Neuroscience letters, 163(2), 1993, pp. 125-128
The expression of pre-pro-somatostatin (ppSOM) mRNA in the spinal cord
of the developing rat was determined by in situ hybridization. Expres
sion of ppSOM mRNA was detected in cells in the gray matter of the dor
sal and ventral horns at day E15, the earliest stage examined in this
study. Expression of ppSOM mRNA persisted during development and into
adulthood in the dorsal horn. In contrast, ppSOM mRNA expression in pr
esumptive ventral horn motoneurons was apparent during pre- and perina
tal periods, but it was not observed in adult rats. These findings are
consistent with the hypothesis that ppSOM is transiently expressed by
motoneurons and that a peptide derived from it may serve a role in th
e development of the neuromuscular junction.