Developmental expression of flt3 mRNA in the mouse brain

The expression and localization of flt3 mRNA were investigated using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization during the developmental process of the mouse brain. By Northern blotting, the expression of the flt3 gene was not detected in embryonic, neonatal, or early postnatal brains, but was markedly increased with age. In adult mice, flt3 was abundantly expressed in the cerebellum, moderately in the pons, and faintly in the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. By in situ hybridization, some neurons that expressed flt3 formed synaptic connections with each other. The present findings suggest that the flt3 gene expression is related to the cell type and the developmental process.