Localization of a family of muscarinic receptor mRNAs in rat brain (original) (raw)

1988, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience

A family of 4 rat muscarinic receptors (m1, m2, m3, and m4) have recently been cloned and sequenced (Bonner et al., 1987). Since pharmacological probes that are presently available do not appear to distinguish among 3 of these muscarinic receptors, we constructed oligonucleotide probes corresponding to the N-terminal sequences of the muscarinic receptors and used them to specifically localize m1, m2, m3, and m4 mRNA in sections of rat brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Northern analysis demonstrated a 3.1 kilobase (kb) m 1 mRNA, a 4.5 kb m3 mRNA, and a 3.3 kb m4 mRNA in cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. In situ hybridization histochemistry indicated a prevalence of m1 mRNA in the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus, the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, the olfactory bulb, amygdala, olfactory tubercule, and piriform cortex. Caudate putamen and cerebral cortex showed moderate levels of labeling. m2 mRNA was detectable in the medial sept...