Gene expression and the contents of noradrenaline synthesis enzymes in the rat brain during the critical period of morphogenesis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular-genetic mechanisms of noradrenaline synthesis in the rat brain during the critical period of morphogenesis. For this purpose, the level of gene expression and the contents of the enzymes for noradrenaline (NA) synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and dopamine-β-hydroxylase were evaluated. We have shown that the mRNA level of these enzymes remains at a stable high level in the perinatal period of ontogeny and decreases slightly by the end of the first month of life. The contents of these enzymes in the brain have a different age dynamics: the content of TH, a rate-limiting enzyme of NA synthesis, is constantly growing, which, along with the constant level of its mRNA, may indicate the predominance of regulation of the TH synthesis at the translation level during this period. However, the content of dopamine-β-hydroxylase and its mRNA does not change during the perinatal period.