Schreiber S S, Tocco G, Najm I, Finch C E, Johnson S A, Baudry M
Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
Neurosci Lett. 1992 Feb 17;136(1):31-5. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(92)90640-s.
Induction of the proto-oncogene c-fos is often considered to be a marker of increased neuronal activity. We have used in situ hybridization to study the pattern of c-fos expression in limbic structures following kainic acid-induced seizures during the postnatal period in the rat. Prior to postnatal day 13 (P13), seizure activity did not result in c-fos induction in any limbic structure. Between P13 and P25, a gradual increase in c-fos expression was observed in hippocampus and cortical structures. These results were corroborated by nuclear run-off transcription assay. Thus, alterations in c-fos transcription that may facilitate stimulus-transcription coupling occur during postnatal development. The possible relationship between the postnatal maturation of c-fos expression and the increase in susceptibility of specific neuronal populations to seizure-induced cell damage is discussed.
