Y. Ishida et al., Basal expression of c-Fos and Zif268 in the rat basal ganglia: immunohistochemical characterization of striatal Zif268-positive neurons, EUR J NEURO, 12(2), 2000, pp. 771-775
Basal expression of the protein products of the inducible immediate early g
enes (IEGs), c-Fos and Zif268, was investigated in five regions of the rat
basal ganglia using immunohistochemistry. In particular, high basal levels
of Zif268 but very low levels of c-Fos were seen in the caudate-putamen (CP
u). Double immunostaining revealed that many of the constitutively expresse
d Zif268-positive neurons were GABAergic but very few were cholinergic or n
euronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-positive, and some of the Zif268-posit
ive neurons were also immunopositive for a glutamate NMDA receptor subunit
NR1 or NR2A. No regional difference between the medial and lateral parts of
the CPu was observed in the cellular phenotypes of Zif268-positive neurons
. Almost no basal levels of Zif268 were seen in the other four regions: the
globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus, subthalamic nucleus and substanti
a nigra pars reticulata. As in the CPu, negligible levels of c-Fos were see
n in these four regions. Differential expression of these two IEGs may sugg
est gene-specific and region-specific functions of c-Fos and Zif268 in the
basal ganglia. Constitutive expression of Zif268 existing mainly in the GAB
Aergic neurons in the CPu may at least in part be maintained by glutamaterg
ic afferents.