Biomaterial Database

Increased expression of serotonin transporter messenger RNA in raphe neurons of the aged rat. 1995

B Meister, and H Johnson, and B Ulfhake

Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Biorn.Meister@neuro.ki.se

The action of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5HT) in the nervous system is terminated by reuptake of the neurotransmitter into the presynaptic nerve terminal via a plasma membrane-bound transporter protein. Recently, cDNAs encoding serotonin transporter protein were cloned. Using in situ hybridization we have studied the expression of serotonin transporter mRNA in the bulbospinal 5HT system of adult (2-3 months) and aged (30 months) rats. In adult rats, serotonin transporter mRNA labelled neurons were detected in the nucleus raphe obscurus, pallidus and magnus. In all aged rats, the optical density of the serotonin transporter mRNA labelling of individual cell profiles was increased by 20-30% (P < 0.001) when compared with adult rats. Five of the six aged rats studied had various degrees of hindlimb motor dysfunctions. In rats with the most pronounced signs of hindlimb motor dysfunction the number of labelled neurons was increased by 25-75% (P < 0.01) when compared with young adult rats. It is concluded that an increased serotonin transporter gene expression is present in the bulbospinal 5HT system of aged animals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008562	Membrane Glycoproteins	Glycoproteins found on the membrane or surface of cells.	Cell Surface Glycoproteins,Surface Glycoproteins,Cell Surface Glycoprotein,Membrane Glycoprotein,Surface Glycoprotein,Glycoprotein, Cell Surface,Glycoprotein, Membrane,Glycoprotein, Surface,Glycoproteins, Cell Surface,Glycoproteins, Membrane,Glycoproteins, Surface,Surface Glycoprotein, Cell,Surface Glycoproteins, Cell
D009133	Muscular Atrophy	Derangement in size and number of muscle fibers occurring with aging, reduction in blood supply, or following immobilization, prolonged weightlessness, malnutrition, and particularly in denervation.	Atrophy, Muscle,Neurogenic Muscular Atrophy,Neurotrophic Muscular Atrophy,Atrophies, Muscle,Atrophies, Muscular,Atrophies, Neurogenic Muscular,Atrophies, Neurotrophic Muscular,Atrophy, Muscular,Atrophy, Neurogenic Muscular,Atrophy, Neurotrophic Muscular,Muscle Atrophies,Muscle Atrophy,Muscular Atrophies,Muscular Atrophies, Neurogenic,Muscular Atrophies, Neurotrophic,Muscular Atrophy, Neurogenic,Muscular Atrophy, Neurotrophic,Neurogenic Muscular Atrophies,Neurotrophic Muscular Atrophies
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D009434	Neural Pathways	Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another.	Neural Interconnections,Interconnection, Neural,Interconnections, Neural,Neural Interconnection,Neural Pathway,Pathway, Neural,Pathways, Neural
D011903	Raphe Nuclei	Collections of small neurons centrally scattered among many fibers from the level of the TROCHLEAR NUCLEUS in the midbrain to the hypoglossal area in the MEDULLA OBLONGATA.	Caudal Linear Nucleus of the Raphe,Interfascicular Nucleus,Nucleus Incertus,Rostral Linear Nucleus of Raphe,Rostral Linear Nucleus of the Raphe,Superior Central Nucleus,Central Nucleus, Superior,Incertus, Nucleus,Nuclei, Raphe,Nucleus, Interfascicular,Nucleus, Raphe,Nucleus, Superior Central,Raphe Nucleus
D002352	Carrier Proteins	Proteins that bind or transport specific substances in the blood, within the cell, or across cell membranes.	Binding Proteins,Carrier Protein,Transport Protein,Transport Proteins,Binding Protein,Protein, Carrier,Proteins, Carrier
D000375	Aging	The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time.	Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012333	RNA, Messenger	RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.	Messenger RNA,Messenger RNA, Polyadenylated,Poly(A) Tail,Poly(A)+ RNA,Poly(A)+ mRNA,RNA, Messenger, Polyadenylated,RNA, Polyadenylated,mRNA,mRNA, Non-Polyadenylated,mRNA, Polyadenylated,Non-Polyadenylated mRNA,Poly(A) RNA,Polyadenylated mRNA,Non Polyadenylated mRNA,Polyadenylated Messenger RNA,Polyadenylated RNA,RNA, Polyadenylated Messenger,mRNA, Non Polyadenylated