EXPRESSION OF THE CHOLECYSTOKININ GENE IN RAT HIPPOCAMPAL INTERNEURONS IS INDEPENDENT OF EXTRINSIC INPUT

In the present study we have used slice cultures of hippocampus and in situ hybridization techniques in order to study the ability of hippoc ampal neurons to synthesize CCK mRNA in the absence of extrinsic affer ents. Our results show that very similar types of hippocampal neurons express CCK mRNA in culture as in situ. We conclude that the expressio n of the CCK gene in hippocampal neurons is not dependent on extrinsic afferent input.