EXPRESSION OF BASIC-HELIX-LOOP-HELIX TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR ME2 DURING BRAIN-DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE REGIONS OF NEURONAL PLASTICITY IN THE ADULT BRAIN

We report the isolation of a cDNA encoding the mouse class A bHLH tran scription factor ME2 and the analysis of its expression. ME2 is expres sed in the cerebral cortex, Purkinje and granule cell layers of the ce rebellum, olfactory neuroepithelium, pyramidal cells of hippocampal la yers CA1-CA4, and in the granular cells of the dentate gyrus. The spec ific expression of ME2 during development and in the regions of neuron al plasticity in the adult brain suggest that ME2 may have a regulator y function in developmental processes as well as during neuronal plast icity.