Species-Specific Detection of Growth Factor Gene Expression in Developing Murine Prostatic Tissue

• Published in: Biology of reproduction Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 93 - 99
• Main Authors: HAUGHNEY, P. C, HAYWARD, S. W, DAHIYA, R, CUNHA, G. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Society for the Study of Reproduction 01-07-1998
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Epithelium - transplantation; ErbB Receptors - genetics; Fibroblast Growth Factor 10; Fibroblast Growth Factor 7; Fibroblast Growth Factors; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Growth Substances - genetics; Male; Mammalian male genital system; Mesoderm - transplantation; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Morphology. Physiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prostate - embryology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Species Specificity; Transforming Growth Factor alpha - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Urogenital System - embryology; Vertebrates: reproduction; Rat; Rodentia; Mesenchyma; Species specificity; Epithelium; Gene expression; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Investigation method; Mouse; Development; Urogenital system; Prostate; Growth factor; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0006-3363; 1529-7268
• DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod59.1.93

The aim of the present study was to develop a method by which the expression of paracrine signaling molecules could be localized
to either epithelial or stromal cells of developing prostatic tissue. Heterospecific tissue recombinants composed of mouse
urogenital epithelium (mouse UGE) plus rat urogenital mesenchyme (rat UGM) and the reciprocal tissue recombinants, rat urogenital
epithelium (rat UGE) plus mouse urogenital mesenchyme (mouse UGM), were grafted under the renal capsule in intact, athymic
male mouse and rat hosts. After 2 wk of growth, RNA from the grafts was analyzed by species-specific reverse transcription-polymerase
chain reaction for the expression of the mRNA for the following molecules: transforming growth factors β1, β3, and α; epidermal
growth factor; epidermal growth factor receptor; and keratinocyte growth factor. The species of expression of these growth
factor and receptor gene products within the heterospecific tissue recombinants was identified, allowing determination of
the cell layer in which the genes were expressed. Identification of the tissue-specific expression of the growth factor and
growth factor receptor profiles of the epithelium and mesenchyme of this in vivo model provides a basis for understanding
the autocrine and paracrine mediators of cell-cell interactions in prostatic development.