Deafferentation induces early and delayed differential changes in the pattern of expression of the various guanine nucleotide binding protein mRNAs in rat striatum.

A polymerase chain reaction-derived method was used to identify and quantitate the relative abundance of the different mRNAs encoding various isoforms of the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein Gs, Gi, and Go alpha subunits in the striata of rats unilaterally injected with 6-hydroxydopamine in the substantia nigra. Thirty days after the lesion, the mRNA levels of the G(o) and of the Gi 1 alpha subunits were increased by about 2-3 times, those of the Gi 3 decreased by about 60% and those of Gi 2 and Gs unmodified. The pattern of expression of the G(o) alpha subunits mRNA changed in a time-dependent fashion, being significant 20 days after the lesion. The decrease in Gi 3 alpha subunit mRNA levels was maximum 10 days after the lesion and tended to be reduced in magnitude with time while the changes in Gi 1 alpha subunit mRNA showed a byphasic behaviour being reduced at 10 days and increased at 30 days after the lesion. These data suggest that the expression of the various G protein alpha subunits in the striatum are continuously regulated by factors originating from afferent neurons and surrounding cells.