title: Activin and activin receptors in the normal urinary bladder: immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and RT-PCR.
abstract: To determine whether rat urinary bladder produces activin-A, a multifunctional growth factor in the transforming growth factor beta superfamily (TGF beta), we have conducted immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies for activin beta A-subunit which were raised against a synthetic cyclic fragment of the beta A-subunit of activin. The mature activin-A molecule was identified at transitional epithelial cells, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells. To determine if messenger RNAs for the beta A-subunits of activin-A and activin receptors are expressed in these cells, both in situ hybridization with specific probes and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique with primers specific for the beta A-subunit of activin and activin receptors, respectively, were used. Messenger RNA expression of the beta A-subunit of activin-A and activin receptors were detected by RT-PCR and localized in the transitional epithelial, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells as determined by in situ hybridization. In addition, the identity of the cDNA product of RT-PCR was verified with DNA sequencing. The localization of mature activin-A protein and its corresponding message as well as that of activin receptors to urinary bladder cells suggest that activin-A may have an autocrine function in the urinary bladder, perhaps in the transitional epithelial, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells themselves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Neurobiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D029404:Activin Receptors; D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000187:drug effects*; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D029404:Activin Receptors