A comparative non-radioactive in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical study of the distribution of alpha 7 and alpha 8 subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in visual areas of the chick brain

The distribution of mRNA transcripts corresponding to the alpha 7 and alpha 8 subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) was studied i n selected structures of the chick visual system with non-radioactive in si tu hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques. The results indicated that the alpha 7 and alpha 8 nAChR transcripts are widely distributed in th e brain, exhibiting differential expression in some structures but also som e degree of co-localization. The pattern of localization of alpha 7 and alp ha 8 nAChR transcripts was highly correlated with immunohistochemical data, with very few instances of possible mismatches between the distribution of mRNAs and their corresponding proteins. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.