Expression of messenger ribonucleic acid for epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha, in human first- and second-trimester fetal ovary and uterus.
OBJECTIVE
The epidermal growth factor receptor, a 170 kd polypeptide with tyrosine kinase activity, is used as the common receptor by two homologous polypeptide growth factors, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha. The activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor results in effects including deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis and cellular differentiation. Epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, and the epidermal growth factor receptor are reported to be associated with adult reproduction. However, the pattern of gene expression for the epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands in human fetal reproductive tissues has not been detailed previously.


METHODS
We studied the expression of messenger ribonucleic acid encoding three polypeptides, epidermal growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor-alpha, in 10-, 15-, 19-, and 22-week human fetal ovaries and uteri. Ribonucleic acid was prepared from the fetal tissues and made into complementary deoxyribonucleic acid by reverse transcription. The complementary deoxyribonucleic acid was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, using primers specific for the human epidermal growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor-alpha.


RESULTS
We found that epidermal growth factor receptor messenger ribonucleic acid was present in all stages of ovarian and uterine tissues studied. In addition, both epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha messenger ribonucleic acid was found in all four stages of ovarian development. Epidermal growth factor messenger ribonucleic acid was detected in all four stages of fetal uterine development.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of epidermal growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor-alpha messenger ribonucleic acid expression in human first- and second-trimester uterus and ovary.
Yeh
J
J
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Osathanondh
R
R
Villa-Komaroff
L
L
D001483:Base Sequence; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D014599:Uterus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors