Developmental expression of calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in rat brain

The patterns of expression of calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CaM-PDE) have been studied in developing and adult rat brain using affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies against CaM-PDE. An immunocytochemical map of adult brain regions expressing CaM-PDE, constructed from serial coronal brain sections, illustrated that CaM-PDE was expressed in specific neuronal subpopulations throughout the adult rat brain. Immunoblot analysis coupled with subcellular fractionation indicated that CaM-PDE was primarily localized to cytoplasmic fractions, with a small amount associated with synaptosomal membranes. Immunoblots from developing brain indicated that CaM-PDE expression increased dramatically during postnatal days 7-20 (PND 7-20); parallel increases in CaM-PDE enzyme activity occurred during this same time. Immunocytochemical studies indicated that several distinct patterns of CaM-PDE expression occurred during development. Neocortex showed low levels of CaM-PDE immunoreactivity in neuronal somata of layers III, V and VI on PND 4 that increased by PND 11: the adult somatodendritic pattern of immunoreactivity was observed by PND 60. Similar patterns were observed in cerebellar Purkinje cells, with somatodendritic staining observed by PND 12. By contrast, caudate-putamen, the inferior olive and the hypoglossal nuclei expressed high levels of CaM-PDE on PND 4, with levels considerably lower in the adult animal. The different patterns of expression suggest that in neocortex and cerebellum, CaM-PDE increases during the period of neuronal differentiation and active synaptogenesis, while in the caudate-putamen, inferior olive and hypoglossal nucleus, high levels may be required early in development.