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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: 32/3/283    most recent 00224.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Olsen, C. M. Articles by Winder, D. G. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Olsen, C. M. Articles by Winder, D. G.

Microarray analysis reveals distinctive signaling between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum

¹ Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Nashville
² Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Nashville
³ J. F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville
⁴ W. Harry Feinstone Center for Genomic Research, University of Memphis
⁵ Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee

To identify distinct transcriptional patterns between the major subcortical dopamine targets commonly studied in addiction we studied differences in gene expression between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and dorsal striatum (dStr) using microarray analysis. We first tested for differences in expression of genes encoding transcripts for common neurotransmitter systems as well as calcium binding proteins routinely used in neuroanatomical delineation of brain regions. This a priori method revealed differential expression of corticotropin releasing hormone (Crh), the GABA transporter (Slc6a1), and prodynorphin (Pdyn) mRNAs as well as several others. Using a gene ontology tool, functional scoring analysis, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we further identified several physiological pathways that were distinct among these brain regions. These two different analyses both identified calcium signaling, G-coupled protein receptor signaling, and adenylate cyclase-related signaling as significantly different among the BNST, NAc, and dStr. These types of signaling pathways play important roles in, amongst other things, synaptic plasticity. Investigation of differential gene expression revealed several instances that may provide insight into reported differences in synaptic plasticity between these brain regions. The results support other studies suggesting that crucial pathways involved in neurotransmission are distinct among the BNST, NAc, and dStr and provide insight into the potential use of pharmacological agents that may target region-specific signaling pathways. Furthermore, these studies provide a framework for future mouse-mouse comparisons of transcriptional profiles after behavioral/pharmacological manipulation.

mouse; brain; Ingenuity Pathways knowledge database; functional class scoring; gene ontology