Expression of stef, an activator of Rac1, correlates with the stages of neuronal morphological development in the mouse brain.

STEF (Sif- and Tiam1-like exchange factor), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, was identified as a candidate molecule in regulation of neural development. The STEF gene product specifically activates Rac1, a member of the Rho-like small G proteins. Here we report the detailed examination of the expression profile of the stef gene in the mouse brain. In situ hybridization revealed that the stef gene was expressed in a stage- and region-specific manner in the mouse brain; it was expressed during certain developmental stages in the cerebral cortex, the olfactory bulb, the rostral migratory pathway (RMP) and the hippocampus. In the cerebral cortex, stef transcripts were detected in migrating cells in the intermediate zone as well as neurons in the cortical plate. While the expression in the cerebral cortex was reduced at adult stages, considerable expression was found to be maintained in other regions (RMP, olfactory bulb, hippocampal formation), which are the tissues where neurons continue to undergo morphological remodeling including cellular migration, neurite extension and synapse formation even in adults. Thus, stef gene expression appears to correspond to neuronal morphological changes.