Gene regulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase subunits (C alpha, beta; RI alpha, beta and RII alpha, beta) in rat facial motoneurons after nerve transection.

In this study we investigated the changes in gene expressions of catalytic (C alpha, beta) and regulatory (RI alpha, beta and RII alpha, beta) subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in axotomized facial motoneurons of the rat. Nerve transection induced changes in the expression of C subunit messenger RNAs and RII subunit messenger RNAs. Control facial motoneurons had a high expression of both C alpha and C beta subunit messenger RNAs, but their expression declined after axotomy. The decrease was most pronounced at postoperative week 2 and returned to basal level within postoperative week 4. In contrast, the expression of both RII alpha and beta subunit messenger RNAs, which were low in control facial motoneurons, was increased after axotomy. Enhancement of RII subunits messenger RNAs was apparent during postoperative weeks 1 and 3, and then returned to the basal level. RI alpha, beta subunits messenger RNAs were strongly expressed in normal facial motoneurons, but were not clearly influenced by axotomy. These results indicate an attenuation of total PKA activity in axotomized facial motoneurons. Furthermore, such gene regulation may imply a change of the targets for PKA in facial motoneurons during the process of neurite regeneration.