Distinct gene expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channel subunit in peripheral neurons of the mouse sensory ganglia and adrenal gland.

The distribution of five N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor channel subunit mRNAs was examined in the mouse peripheral nervous tissues by in situ hybridization. The trigeminal and dorsal root ganglion cells showed signals for the zeta 1 subunit mRNA from embryonic stages through postnatal day 21, but not for the epsilon 1, epsilon 2, epsilon 3, and epsilon 4 subunit mRNAs at any developmental stages examined. The adrenal medulla also expressed the zeta 1 subunit mRNA alone. These findings suggest that molecular organization of the NMDA receptor channel in peripheral neurons are distinct from those in central neurons, which may result in different functional properties of the channel between them.