Developmental patterns of intermediate filament gene expression in the normal hamster brain

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(92)91060-R

Brain Research

Volume 595, Issue 2, 13 November 1992, Pages 270-280

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(92)91060-R Get rights and content

Abstract

We have examined the patterns of expression of the major intermediate filament (IF) protein mRNAs during development of the hamster brain. Quantitative northern blotting was used to examine changes in the levels of mRNAs for the low, middle and high molecular weight neurofilament proteins (NF-L, NF-M, NF-H) as well as peripherin, vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Total RNA was isolated from hamster brains at embryonic (E) days 12 and 14 and postnatal (P) days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 20, 28 and 60–90 (adult), and probed with specific IF cDNAs. Northern blotting revealed that NF-L and NF-M mRNAs were present at very low levels in embryonic brain and that significant expression of these genes only occurred postnatally when the levels increased dramatically until P28 and then declined again in the adult. Increases in NF-H mRNA levels were somewhat delayed relative to those of NF-L and NF-M. NF-H mRNA was not seen at embryonic stages and was expressed at very low levels prior to P9; after that time the levels increased rapidly until P28 and then declined in the adult. Two of the type III IF genes, peripherin and vimentin, followed a pattern of expression opposite that of the NF genes. Both peripherin and vimentin mRNAs were present in embryonic brain and were expressed at higher levels during early postnatal stages than at later times. The magnitude and rate of reduction in vimentin gene expression in the postnatal interval was much greater than that of peripherin. GFAP mRNA levels were extremely low prior to P9 alter which a robust increase occurred, followed by a decline in the adult. We discuss the implication of the dramatic changes in IF isotype expression in brain to the pathways of both neuronal and glial development in vivo.

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Research reportDevelopmental patterns of intermediate filament gene expression in the normal hamster brain

Abstract

Exp. Neurol.

Nature

J. Neurosci.

J. Neurosci.

J. Neurosci.

EMBO J.

Int. J. Dev. Neurosci.

J. Biol. Chem.

J. Biol. Chem.

Mol. Brain Res.

Biochim. Biophys. Acta

Genes Dev.

J. Cell Biol.

J. Neurosci.

J. Cell Biol.

Neuron

J. Neurosci.

J. Neurosci.

J. Comp. Neurol.

Met. Brain Dis.

Autoradiographic study of cell migration during histogenesis of cerebral cortex in the mouse

Nature

Current Protocols in Molecular Biology

Current Protocols in Molecular Biology

Developmental Neurochemistry

Expression of a neurofilament protein by the precursors of a subpopulation of ventral spinal cord neurons

Dev. Biol.

Localization of vimentin, the nonspecific intermediate filament protein, in embryonal glia and in early differentiating neurons

Dev. Biol.

Two-stage expression of neurofilament polypeptides during rat neurogenesis with early establishment of adult phosphorylation patterns

J. Neurosci.

Synthesis and turnover of cytoskeletal proteins in cultured astrocytes

J. Neurochem.

Regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in CNS development and in pathologic states

J. Neuroimmunol.

Vimentin, the 57,000 dalton protein of fibroblast filaments, is the major cytoskeletal component in immature glia

Eur. J. Cell Biol.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein: the major protein of glial intermediate filaments in differentiated astrocytes

J. Neuroimmunol.

Comparative study of the expression of two intermediate filament proteins: peripherin and the 68 kDa neurofilament protein during the development of the rat embryo

C. r. hebd. Seanc. Acad. Sci. Paris

Differential expression of neurofilament subunits in the developing corpus callosum

Dev. Brain Res.

Axon caliber related to neurofilaments and microtubules in sciatic nerve fibers of rats and mice

Anat. Rec.

mRNA levels of all three neurofilament proteins decline following nerve transection

Mol. Brain Res.

The expression of the neuronal intermediate filament protein peripherin in the rat embryo

Dev. Brain Res.

Organization of the mammalian neurofilament polypeptides within the neuronal cytoskeleton

J. Cell Biol.

Intrinsic Determinants of Neuronal Form and Function

Research report
Developmental patterns of intermediate filament gene expression in the normal hamster brain