Abstract

The α2 subunit of the glycine receptor is expressed transiently in the rat brain during early development suggesting that this subunit may be replaced by the α1 subunit in the adult brain. The expression of glycine receptor α2 subunit mRNA was investigated in the 7-day-old rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry using oligonucleotide probes specific for this subunit. Neurons expressing α2 subunit mRNA were found to be widely and abundantly distributed throughout brain. We compared the distribution of neurons expressing α2 subunit mRNA with that of neurons expressing α1 or β subunit mRNA. In the lower brainstem, the location of the neurons expressing α2 subunit mRNA was very similar to that of the neurons with α1 or β subunit mRNA. Neurons expressing β subunit mRNA were widespread and numerous in the forebrain, where neurons with α1 subunit mRNA were uncommon. The locations of the neurons labeled by the α2 probe were very similar to those of the cells labeled by the β probe. These findings suggest that the α2 subunit is not only expressed by immature neurons containing the α1 subunit, but is also common to most immature neurons having the glycine receptor. However, it should be noted that several neurons contained β and/or α1 subunit mRNA but lacked α2 subunit mRNA, suggesting that the glycine receptor is heterogeneous in its composition during brain development.

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