title: Murine clusterin: molecular cloning and mRNA localization of a gene associated with epithelial differentiation processes during embryogenesis.
abstract: Clusterin is a broadly distributed glycoprotein constitutively expressed by various tissues and cell types, that has been shown to be involved in cell-cell adhesion and expressed during cellular differentiation in vitro. To assess the suggested participation of clusterin in these processes in vivo, we have cloned the cDNA encoding murine clusterin and studied the cellular distribution of clusterin mRNA during murine embryogenesis. Sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding murine clusterin revealed 92 and 75% sequence identity with the rat and human cDNAs, respectively, and conservation of the predicted structural features which include alpha-helical regions and heparin-binding domains. From 12.5 d of development onwards, the clusterin gene is widely expressed in developing epithelia, and selectively localized within the differentiating cell layers of tissues such as the developing skin, tooth, and duodenum where proliferating and differentiating compartments are readily distinguished. In addition, transient and localized clusterin gene expression was detected in certain morphogenetically active epithelia. In the lung, abundant gene transcripts were detected in cuboidal epithelial cells of the terminal lung buds during branching morphogenesis, and in the kidney, clusterin gene expression in the epithelial cells of comma and S-shaped bodies coincided with the process of polarization. Our results demonstrate the in vivo expression of the clusterin gene by differentiating epithelial cells during murine embryogenesis, and provide novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be involved in the differentiation and morphogenesis of certain epithelia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University of Geneva, Medical School, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chonn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ducrest
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wohlwend
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sappino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tschopp
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schifferli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D051152:Clusterin; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003656:Decidua / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D014070:Tooth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014599:Uterus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: C495243:Clu protein, mouse; D051152:Clusterin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA