Figure 4.
Expression of Bdnf exon IV and BDNF protein is reduced in Carf KO cortex. A, Bdnf exon IV mRNA expression in cortex dissected from Carf WT and KO mice during the first 2 weeks of postnatal life or from P0 cortex cultures that were made from individual WT or KO siblings of HET by HET crosses. Cultured neurons were treated with 1 μm TTX overnight before mRNA harvesting. Gene expression is normalized to Gapdh to control for sample handling and results are scaled to the average value of the WT sample (WT average, 1; postnatal cortex, n = 7 WT, 6 KO; P0 cortex culture, n = 3 WT, 4 KO). B, KCl-dependent induction of Bdnf exon IV expression in Carf WT and KO neurons cultured as in A. Membrane depolarization was induced by addition of 55 mm extracellular KCl for 1, 3, or 6 h before mRNA harvesting. n = 2 WT and 3 KO at each time point. C, Expression of Bdnf exon I-, II-, IV-, or VI-containing mRNA transcripts in cerebral cortex dissected from adult Carf WT and KO mice 2–6 months of age. n = 8 WT and 10 KO. D, BDNF protein expression in frontal cortex, hippocampus, or striatum dissected from adult Carf WT or KO mice. Results are scaled relative to the average WT level in each tissue (WT average, 100%; frontal cortex, n = 8 WT, 9 KO; hippocampus, n = 3 WT, 3 KO; striatum, n = 7 WT, 8 KO. Error bars indicate SEM. *p < 0.05.