Korean J Anat.  1998 Apr;31(2):191-199.

Chromosomal localization and neural distribution of voltage dependent calcium channel alpha1A and alpha1E subunit genes

• Kim H
• Park SY
• Suh YS
• Rhyu IJ
• Kim HL
• Park SH

Abstract

Fluorescent in situ hybridization using human genomic DNA probes was performed to localize genes encoding the alpha1A and alpha1E of voltage dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) in the human chromosome and the mRNA expression of these two alpha1 subunits of VDCC was demonstrated in the 18 day old embryo (E18) and adult rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The genes for the VDCC alpha1A and alpha1E were specifically localized on human chromosome 19p13.1 and 1q25, respectively. In 18 days old rat embryos, the mRNAs of the VDCC alpha1A and alpha1E were predominently expressed in the nervous system including brain and spinal cord. In adult rat brain, the expression pattern of each subunit was extremely different. The expression of alpha1A mRNA was strong in the purkinje cells of cerebellum and CA3 area of hippocampus, relatively high level of expression was found in the dentate gyrus, CA1 area of hippocampus, superficial layer of cerebral cortex and olfactory mitral cells. Whereas alpha1E was highly expressed in the dentate gyrus, CA1-3 area of hippocampus, medial habenula nucleus of thalamus and olfactory mitral and internal granule cells and relatively high level of expression was found in the Purkinje cells of cerebellum, cerebral cortex and caudate-putamen. Until now, no neurological disorder has been mapped to 1q25, location of VDCC alpha1E gene. Recently, it has been reported that mutation of VDCC alpha1A gene causes episodic ataxia type 2 (EA-2) and spinocerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6). These reports comfirm the our experimental results of chromosomal mapping and prominent cerebellar expression of VDCC a1A gene.

Keyword

Fluorescent in situ hybridization; human chromosome 19p13.1 and 1q25; in situ hybridization histoche-mistry

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Ataxia
Brain
Calcium Channels*
Calcium*
Cerebellum
Cerebral Cortex
Chromosomes, Human
Dentate Gyrus
DNA Probes
Embryonic Structures
Habenula
Hippocampus
Humans
In Situ Hybridization
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Nervous System
Nervous System Diseases
Purkinje Cells
Rats
RNA, Messenger
Spinal Cord
Spinocerebellar Ataxias
Thalamus
Calcium
Calcium Channels
DNA Probes
RNA, Messenger