The Lck tyrosine kinase is expressed in brain neurons

The lck gene product, p56lck, is a member of the src-related family of protein tyrosine kinases. It is known as lymphocyte specific and involved in thymocyte development and in the immune response mediated by the T cell receptor. We report that the lck gene is also expressed in adult mouse CNS and that brain p56lck is similar to the thymus protein. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry show that the lck gene is expressed in neurons throughout the brain in distinct regions, including hippocampus and cerebellum. In primary cultures from fetal mouse brain, neuronal cells are immunoreactive to Lck antiserum. This suggests that the lck gene product might be involved in a new signal transduction pathway in mouse brain.