Differential expression of the homeobox gene Pitx3 in midbrain dopaminergic neurons
| Autor: | Tatiana M, Korotkova, Alexei A, Ponomarenko, Helmut L, Haas, Olga A, Sergeeva |
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| Rok vydání: | 2005 |
| Předmět: |
Homeodomain Proteins
Male Neurons Calbindins Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Dopamine Ventral Tegmental Area Gene Expression Immunohistochemistry Rats Substantia Nigra S100 Calcium Binding Protein G Microscopy Fluorescence Mesencephalon Animals Rats Wistar Fluorescent Antibody Technique Indirect Algorithms Transcription Factors |
| Zdroj: | The European journal of neuroscience. 22(6) |
| ISSN: | 0953-816X |
| Popis: | The transcription factor Pitx3 is expressed selectively in the midbrain and regulates the differentiation and survival of dopaminergic neurons. Lack of this factor results in a degeneration similar to that seen in Parkinson's disease. We have studied the pattern and the level of expression of Pitx3 in dopaminergic neurons of 3- to 4-week-old Wistar rats. We report Pitx3 expression in almost all dopaminergic substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons. It is coexpressed with the neuroprotective marker calbindin (CB) in a larger population of VTA (43%) than SN (16%) dopaminergic neurons. The level of Pitx3 mRNA, determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR, is approximately 6x higher in VTA than in SN single neurons. In the VTA but not in SN the level of Pitx3 is associated with the presence of CB: in CB-positive neurons the expression of Pitx3 mRNA is 3.6x higher than in CB-negative cells. CB is expressed in a larger population of VTA than SN neurons and the relative level of CB expression is 4x higher in VTA than in SN. A higher Pitx3 expression level and higher coexpression of Pitx3 and CB in VTA than in SN neurons may contribute to the different vulnerability of these dopaminergic nuclei to neurodegeneration. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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