DISTRIBUTION OF CALRETININ MESSENGER-RNA IN RAT SPINAL-CORD AND DORSAL-ROOT GANGLIA - A STUDY USING NONRADIOACTIVE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION HISTOCHEMISTRY

Using non-radioactive in situ hybridization calretinin mRNA was detect ed in numerous small neurons within lamina II and IV of the dorsal hor n. Many labelled cells are distributed over the whole ventral horn; ho wever, no motorneurons contained the mRNA. In dorsal root ganglia 4.9/-1.7% (mean+/-S.D., n = 5 animals) of the primary afferent neurons co ntained calretinin mRNA. Labelled cells were of intermediate and large size with diameters ranging from 36 to 68 mum indicating that calreti nin is synthesized in neurons with myelinated afferent fibers and pres umably a corpuscular ending.