Stem cell factor (SCF) promotes the growth of multilineage hematopoietic cells. SCF is a product of the steel (Sl) locus of the mouse, and it is a ligand for the c-kit proto-oncogene receptor. Previous studies have investigated the distribution of SCF mRNA in developing and adult tissues of the rat, including the brain. However, there have been conflicting reports on the distribution of SCF mRNA in adult rat brain. Specially noteworthy was one report of the absence of SCF mRNA in adult hippocampus, while another group reported the presence of that mRNA in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. We conducted this study to determine the precise localization of SCF mRNA in adult brain, and were especially interested in determining whether that mRNA is localized in adult hippocampus. We used in situ hybridization histochemistry to demonstrate that the gene encoding SCF is actively expressed in neuron-like cells in various regions of adult rat brain. Our data show that SCF mRNA is present in neuron-like cells in the thalamus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus, particularly in the dentate gyrus, but also in CA1, CA2, and CA3. We did not localize SCF mRNA in glia-like cells. Dyskeratosis congenita is a severe human disorder, associated with dyskeratosis, anemia, and mental retardation. It has been postulated that dyskeratosis congenita is due to a deficiency in SCF function. It is unknown why patients with dyskeratosis congenita suffer from mental retardation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)