Gene expression in the hippocampal DG in WT and Cav3.1KO mice

Low-threshold voltage gated T-type calcium channels are characterized by unique electrophysiological features with the fast inactivation and slow deactivation kinetics. Previous reports suggest that T-type calcium channels may be involved in the adult hippocampal neurogenesis, however, function of T-type calcium channels in newly generated cells is still uncertain. We demonstrated that Cav3.1 is predominantly localized in the NPCs in mouse SGZ, and that deletion of Cav3.1 attenuates proliferation and survival in 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled new born cells in the hippocampal DG. To reveal mechanism underlying impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Cav3.1 KO mice, gene expression in the hippocampal DG is compared between WT and Cav3.1 KO mice. We here defined several altered genes related with cell apoptosis, proliferation and neuronal differentiation in Cav3.1 KO mice. After decapitation of animals, brain tissue from hippocampal DG region was dissected and stored at −80 °C until assay. We assayed 4 brain slices of WT and Cav3.1 KO mice, respectively.