Expression of the thymosin beta10 gene in normal and kainic acid-treated rat forebrain.

Thymosin beta10 (Tbeta10) is a small actin-sequestering peptide widely distributed in mammalian tissues including nervous system. Here, we analyze the expression of Tbeta10 gene in normal and kainic acid (KA)-treated rat forebrain by in situ hybridization. Our results showed a defined regional pattern of the mRNA encoding for Tbeta10 in both normal and KA-treated rat forebrain. The presence of this transcript in different regions of the rat forebrain, including hippocampus, neocortex and several brain nuclei, provides evidence for the participation of Tbeta10 in the control of the actin dynamics that takes place in neurons. Furthermore, the analysis of the forebrain in KA-treated rats revealed an activation of the Tbeta10 gene linked to gliosis. Copyright 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.