Development and anatomic localization of torsinA

We have mapped the distribution of torsinA, the protein that is mutated in dystonia type 1 (DYT1), during postnatal development in rat brain. TorsinA was expressed in most brain regions at postnatal day 7, and its expression became more intense and widespread with age. The distribution of torsinA, however, showed marked age-dependent differences among regions of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Notably, large cholinergic interneurons of the striatum displayed intense torsin labeling between postnatal days 14 and 21, a period of intense synaptogenesis in this region.