[Gene expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone in the rat brain--an in situ hybridization technic using an oligoRNA probe].
We studied the localization of GnRH cell bodies in the rat brain by using an in situ hybridization technique. We used radiolabeled single stranded oligoRNA probe (62-mer) complementary to the part of rat GnRH mRNA which included the coding sequence for the decapeptide. Only a single hybridizing band was observed on Northern blotting of mRNA extracts of the rat brain. This probe detects GnRH mRNA in individual cells in sections of the rat brain. In situ hybridization revealed the presence of GnRH cell bodies in the preoptic area and diagonal bands of Broca. We found that the oligoRNA probe was useful because it was easy to prepare and accessible to cellular mRNA.