Embryonal development of arginine vasotocin/mesotocin gene expression in the chicken brain

Abstract An ontogenic series of chick embryo brains (4, 6, 9,12,14,16 and 18 days of incubation, hatching day: 21) was coronally or saggitally sectioned and investigated for expression of the arginine vasotocin (AVT)/mesotocin (MT) gene. To this end a 39mer oligonucleotide recognizing the AVT/MT encoding sequence of their respective mRNAs was constructed employing optimized codon usage and was used for in situ hybridization. AVT/MT mRNA-expressing neurons were first detected on embryonal day (E) 6 adjacent to the third ventricle. By E9 the periventricular nucleus had expanded in size but the hybridization signal was weaker. These results suggest a migration of cells in all directions away from the third ventricle into the diencephalon; some perikarya were even observed at the lateral pial surface above the optic chiasm. By E12, brain differentiation had advanced to distinct hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal nuclei (supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei) as well as to accessory groups expressing AVT/MT mRNA. Two cell types were then distinguishable in the paraventricular nucleus; the specific mRNA was expressed either as a weak or a strong hybridization signal. Comparison with other studies suggested that differentiation had almost attained adult level though cell growth and differentiation of supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei still occurred. This was complete by E18 when individual cells were larger and the intensity of the hybridization signal became very strong. RNase pretreatment depressed the signal by 100%. Northern blot hybridization of RNA extracted from newly hatched chicks verified the specificity of the probe. A single band was evident, indicating an mRNA of approximately 700 bases, which is only found in hypothalamus and not in muscle, liver or extra-hypothalamic brain, and corresponds in size closely with mammalian vasopressin mRNA. The data demonstrate a very early development (E6) of neurohypophyseal hormone gene expression in the chick embryo brain with important differentiation around E9. At E12 magnocellular neuronal arrangement resembled adult neurons but the gene expression signal increased in intensity until E18.