Kindling induces neuropsin mRNA in the mouse brain

Neuropsin mRNA expression was analyzed and mapped in the mouse brains after kindling epileptogenesis by using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Dynamic increases of the neuropsin mRNA were observed in the layer II of prelimbic, somatosensory, auditory, perirhinal, entorhinal, and piriform cortices in an activity-dependent manner, though no neuropsin gene was expressed in these areas in control mice. In addition to the confirmation of our previous studies showing increases of mRNA in the hippocampus and amygdaloid complex, there were also remarkable increases of the neuropsin mRNA in the limbic areas, such as the accessory olfactory nucleus, the medial and lateral septal nucleus, the nucleus of diagonal band, the substantia innominata and the zona incerta. The dynamic activity-dependent changes of the gene expression and the site-specificity of neuropsin localization are suggesting that this molecule is implicated in cortical- and limbic-specific neuronal reorganization.