Modulation of GAP-43 mRNA by GABA and glutamate in cultured cerebellar granule cells.

Expression of GAP-43 in the cerebellum and selected regions of the brain has been shown to be developmentally regulated. Localization of GAP-43 mRNA within granule cells of the immature and mature rat cerebellum has been demonstrated by in situ hybridization. Higher levels are detected in the neonate compared to the adult.

Distribution of GAP-43 mRNA in the immature and adult cerebellum: a role for GAP-43 in cerebellar development and neuroplasticity.

Expression of GAP-43 mRNA in the rat cerebellum and inferior olivary nucleus was examined at birth, during postnatal development and in the adult by both Northern and in situ hybridization. Northern blot analysis revealed that cerebellar GAP-43 mRNA expression increases from birth to postnatal day (PD) 7 and then declines to a lower level in the adult. At birth, in situ hybridization experiments showed intense labeling of GAP-43 mRNA in the premigratory, but not the germinal, zone of the cerebellar external granule cell layer.

Particle bombardment: a universal approach for gene transfer to cells and tissues.

In the past year, significant progress in the field of gene transfer has been made possible by refinement of the technique of particle bombardment. The process has been utilized for the study of gene expression in plastids and mitochondria, the production of transgenic crop plants and gene transfer into live animals. Bombarding tissues of live animals with genes that code for antigenic proteins may provide an effective means of vaccination.

Gene transfer to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and other mammalian somatic cells by microprojectile bombardment.

We demonstrate the application of particle delivery to the transformation of mammalian somatic cells. Two mouse T-lymphocyte cell lines and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transformed transiently with the RSV-ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) gene. Stable gene transfer was also demonstrated in CHO cells at a frequency of 6 x 10(-4) and in T-cells at a frequency of 1 x 10(-4), using beta-Gal/neomycin-resistance gene constructs.

Transformation of microbes, plants and animals by particle bombardment.

Over the past several years, particle bombardment has evolved into a useful tool for molecular biologists, allowing direct gene transfer to a broad range of cell and tissue types. Some of the important applications of the process include the production of transgenic crop species including maize and soybean and the introduction of DNA into plastids and mitochondria. Recent results have extended the range of gene transfer by particle bombardment to animal and bacterial cells.