The temporal and spatial development of CRF binding sites in the postnatalmouse cerebellum

This study describes the distribution and relative level of labeling of bin ding sites for corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) in the postnatal mouse cerebellum. At birth low levels of labeling are present throughout the cer ebellum. However, this labeling is most densely distributed in the caudal a nd lateral aspects of the cerebellum. By P3 CRF binding sites are present t hroughout the cerebellum, although the greatest level of labeling is in the posterior lobe of the vermis, especially lobules IX and X; this correlates with the early differential pattern of CRF distribution in cerebellar affe rents within these same lobules. Al P10, the adult pattern of distribution and level of labeling begins to emerge. The presence of CRF and CRF binding sites at birth, and during postnatal growth, suggests that this peptide co uld play a role in the regulation of developmental events within the cerebe llum. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.