DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF DCC MESSENGER-RNA IN ADULT-RAT FOREBRAIN

DCC is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion mol ecules, whose role in the function of the adult nervous system is unkn own. DCC mRNA expression was studied in adult rat dorsal hippocampal s ections using in situ hybridization histochemistry. High levels of DCC transcript were detected in hippocampus and medial habenula, whereas lower mRNA expression was found in cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and t halamus. The higher relative expression of DCC mRNA in hippocampus, co mpared with the remainder of the brain was confirmed using RT-PCR anal ysis. These data confirm the presence of DCC mRNA in adult rat brain a nd indicate that DCC mRNA is differentially expressed between forebrai n regions, suggesting a role for DCC in the function of the adult rat central nervous system.