Restraint-induced fra-2 and c-fos expression in the rat forebrain: relationship to stress duration.

ABSTRACT: The protein product of the fra-2 gene (Fra-2), a fos-family member, can compete with Fos protein for participation in activating protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor complexes and each protein can contribute different transactivational consequences to an AP-1 complex. To date, there is limited characterization of fra-2 mRNA expression in the rat forebrain. We examined basal and restraint-induced mRNA expression (in situ hybridization) of fra-2 in the rat forebrain and compared its temporal-spatial pattern to c-fos. In contrast to the very low basal expression of c-fos, fra-2 basal expression was moderately high throughout cortex and some subcortical structures, including prominent basal expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Restraint-induced fra-2 expression was qu

SUBMITTER: Weinberg MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2189738 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature