Regional expression of the nerve growth factor gene family in rat brain during development

The developmental expression patterns of three members (NGF, NGF-2/NT-3, and BDNF) of the NGF family in rat brain are different. NGF-2/NT-3 mRNA was the first detected during development followed by NGF and BDNF mRNAs. A substantial amount of NGF mRNA was found to be synthesized in the hippocampus and the cortex, and this regional expression pattern did not change during development. In contrast, NGF-2/NT-3 mRNA was detected in almost all the brain regions examined in the early developmental stage. In the late stage, the transcript was found in high concentration only in the hippocampus and the cerebellum. BDNF mRNA was widely distributed, and its level was augmented in the late developmental stage.