Constitutive expression of heat shock protein HSP25 in the central nervoussystem of the developing and adult mouse

Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization have been used to sun ey con stitutive heat shock protein (HSP)BS expression in the brain and spinal cor d of the developing and adult mouse. The data reveal both transient and sus tained patterns of expression and demonstrate robust differences between mi ce and rats. During development, HSP25 is transiently expressed in neurone of the inferior colliculus, various thalamic subnuclei, and the majority of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Sustained expression into adulthood is s een in neurons of the cranial nerve nuclei, spinal cord motoneurons, median preoptic nucleus, and a subset of Purkinje cells. Differences in HSP25 exp ression between adult rats and mice include the somatic motor nuclei innerv ating the extraocular muscles, which are HSP25 immunoreactive only in the r at. Similar differences in HSP25 expression are seen during the development of the inferior colliculus, thalamus, and cerebellum, m here expression is restricted to mice. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.