Quantitative in situ hybridization detection of 5-HT receptor mRNA in rat brain using storage phosphor imaging

摘要

In situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) has become a popular technique for identifying cells that express a particular protein and for studying the regulation of that protein's synthesis. This has been particularly important in brain research, where the distribution of neurons expressing a particular gene product has substantial functional implications. The author's laboratory has been using ISHH with phosphorus labeled probes to study the regulation of serotonin receptors in rat brain. This has been quite a challenge because a variety of different neuron populations express these receptors and the levels of expression can be quite low. On the other hand, ISHH gives exquisite selectivity and sensitivity because radioactively labeled DNA or RNA probes are much more selective than any available radioligands for these receptors.