Adrenal corticosteroids (CORT) have a profound effect on the function of the hippocampus. This is mediated in a coordinated manner by mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) via activation or repression of target genes. The aim of this study was to identify, using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), CORT-responsive hippocampal genes regulated via MR and/or GR. SAGE profiles were compared under different conditions of CORT exposure, resulting in the identification of 203 CORT-responsive genes that are involved in many different cellular processes like, energy expenditure and cellular metabolism; protein synthesis and turnover; signal transduction and neuronal connectivity and neurotransmission. Besides some previously identified CORT-responsive genes, the majority of the genes identified in this study were novel. In situ hybridization revealed that six randomly chosen CORT-responsive genes had distinct expression patterns in neurons of the hippocampus. In addition, using in situ hybridization, we confirmed that these six genes were indeed regulated by CORT, underscoring the validity of the SAGE data. Comparison of MR- and GR-dependent expression profiles revealed that the majority of the CORT-responsive genes were regulated either by activated MR or by activated GR, while only a few genes were responsive to both activated MR and GR. This indicates that the molecular basis for the differential effects of activated MR and GR is activation or repression of distinct, yet partially overlapping sets of genes. The putative CORT-responsive genes identified here will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential and sometimes opposing effects of MR and GR on neuronal excitability, memory formation and behaviour as well as their role in neuronal protection and damage.

Using the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) method, we generated a gene expression profile of the rat hippocampus. A total of 76,790 SAGE tags was analyzed, allowing identification of 28,748 different tag species, each representing a unique mRNA transcript. The tags were divided into different abundancy classes, ranging from tags that were detected over 500 times to tags encountered only once in the 76,790 tags analyzed. The mRNA species detected more than 50 times represented 0.3% of the total number of unique tags while accounting for 22% of the total hippocampal mRNA mass. The majority of tags were encountered 5 times or less. The genes expressed at the highest levels were of mitochondrial origin, consistent with a high requirement for energy in neuronal tissue. At a lower level of expression, several neuron-specific transcripts were encountered, encoding various neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and enzymes involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and turnover, ion channels and pumps, and synaptic components. Comparison of relative expression levels demonstrated that glutamate receptors are the most frequent neurotransmitter receptors expressed in the hippocampus, consistent with the important role of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus, while GABA receptors were present at approximately 10-fold lower levels. Several kinases were present including CaMKII, which was expressed at high levels, consistent with its being the most abundant protein in the spines of hippocampal pyramidal cells. This is the first extensive inventory of gene expression in the hippocampus and serves as a reference for future studies aimed at elucidating hippocampal transcriptional responses under various conditions.

Using the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) method, we generated a gene expression profile of the rat hippocampus. A total of 76,790 SAGE tags was analyzed, allowing identification of 28,748 different tag species, each representing a unique mRNA transcript. The tags were divided into different abundancy classes, ranging from tags that were detected over 500 times to tags encountered only once in the 76,790 tags analyzed. The mRNA species detected more than 50 times represented 0.3% of the total number of unique tags while accounting for 22% of the total hippocampal mRNA mass. The majority of tags were encountered 5 times or less. The genes expressed at the highest levels were of mitochondrial origin, consistent with a high requirement for energy in neuronal tissue. At a lower level of expression, several neuron-specific transcripts were encountered, encoding various neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and enzymes involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and turnover, ion channels and pumps, and synaptic components. Comparison of relative expression levels demonstrated that glutamate receptors are the most frequent neurotransmitter receptors expressed in the hippocampus, consistent with the important role of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus, while GABA receptors were present at approximately 10-fold lower levels. Several kinases were present including CaMKII, which was expressed at high levels, consistent with its being the most abundant protein in the spines of hippocampal pyramidal cells. This is the first extensive inventory of gene expression in the hippocampus and serves as a reference for future studies aimed at elucidating hippocampal transcriptional responses under various conditions.