Stress and electroconvulsive seizure differentially alter GPR56 expression in the adult rat brain

GPR56, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, plays a role in the formation of the frontal and parietal brain lobes and cortical lamination in the embryonic stage. A recent report indicated the existence of GPR56 transcripts in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ) of the adult mouse brain. Both these regions are known to continually produce neural progenitor cells in the adult brain. Here, we demonstrate abundant GPR56 protein expression in the ependymal cell layer and SVZ as well as its reciprocal translational regulation by a 12-day behavioral stress paradigm and 10-day electroconvulsive seizure (ECS) treatment. Our study revealed that GPR56 transcript expression in the hippocampus was regulated by stress and seizure in a manner identical to that in the SVZ. GPR56 expression was downregulated by stress and upregulated by the ECS treatment in both regions, whereas nestin expression showed no changes. Western blot analysis revealed a robust ECS-induced increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the wall of the lateral ventricle including the ependymal cell layer and the SVZ, which may provide a possible regulatory mechanism for GPR56 expression. We consider that GPR56 is expressed in the ependymal cell layer and in immature progenitor cells and that its expression is regulated by functional stimulation.