Localization of preangiotensinogen messenger RNA sequences in the rat brain.

Angiotensinogen (renin substrate) and its messenger RNA are known to accumulate in the rat brain. We have cloned rat preangiotensinogen cDNAs and used them as probes to measure the accumulation of preangiotensinogen messenger RNA sequences in eight regions of rat brain, as well as in liver and kidney. The brain regions examined were the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, cerebellum, diencephalon (including basal forebrain structures), midbrain, brainstem, and pituitary. On a tissue weight basis, the accumulation of preangiotensinogen RNA sequences was greatest in the liver, midbrain, and brainstem. The relative concentrations of messenger RNA were ranked as follows: liver, brainstem, midbrain greater than cerebellum, diencephalon greater than hippocampus greater than cortex, striatum, kidney greater than pituitary. Relative RNA concentrations from liver to kidney varied over a 16-fold range. Liver and brain preangiotensinogen RNA sequences were indistinguishable in size as measured by gel electrophoresis; however, the kidney sequences appeared some 100 nucleotides larger. Our data agree with previous measurements of angiotensinogen in the rat brain as assayed by renin-catalyzed angiotensin I release.