Expression of thymosin beta in the rat brain following transient global ischemia.

Thymosin beta (Tbeta) isoforms play an important role in the organization of the cytoskeleton by sequestering G-actin during development of the mammalian brain. In this study, we examined changes in the expression of Tbeta4 and Tbeta15 after transient global ischemia. Tbeta15 mRNA increased gradually in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampal formation from 3 h after reperfusion and peaked 9 h later.

Effect of thymosin beta15 on the branching of developing neurons.

The thymosin betas (Tbetas) are polypeptide regulators of actin dynamics that are critical for the growth and branching of neurites in developing neurons. We found that mRNAs for Tbeta4, Tbeta10, and Tbeta15 were highly expressed in the developing rat brain during neuritogenesis, supporting a role for the Tbetas in this process. Overexpression of the Tbetas increased the number of neurite branches per neuron in cultured hippocampal and cerebral cortex neurons, and Tbeta15 had the greatest effect.

Identification of novel electroconvulsive shock-induced and activity-dependent genes in the rat brain.

Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) has been used as an effective treatment for patients suffering from major depression disorders and schizophrenia. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the action of ECS are poorly understood. Using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays, we identified 60 ECS-induced genes whose gene products are involved in the neuronal signaling, neuritogenesis and tissue remodeling.