engleski

Differential interspecies posttranscriptional regulation of Nkx2-1 expression in the adult mammalian subthalamic nucleus

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a basal ganglia structure, clinically important as a target in the treatment for Parkinson's disease. Nkx2-1 is a transcription factor and, in the forebrain, a marker of neurons derived from medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and hypothalamic basal plate. Nkx2- 1 is widely expressed in the subcortical forebrain, especially in the hypothalamus and the basal ganglia such as globus pallidus and striatum. STN is the most underexplored basal ganglia structure and its basic cytochemistry is still not fully described, neither in rodent models, nor in humans. The aim of this research is to investigate the expression of Nkx2-1 in the adult mouse, rat, and human STN. We used immunofluorescence and RNAscope to determine the expression of both Nkx2-1 mRNA and protein on adult FFPE mouse, rat, and human coronal brain slices containing STN. We reveal that the Nkx2-1 mRNA is present in all species’ STN, while Nkx2-1 protein is expressed only in the rat and human STN. The conclusion is that the Nkx2-1 mRNA is not translated into protein in the mouse STN, and this is a case of species-dependent posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. The question remains what the functional significance of this finding is and why are the rat and human STN more similar in this parameter, when while looking at evolutionary relationships, this is expected from mouse and rat.

subthalamic nucleus, Nkx2-1, posttranscriptional regulation

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