Sex difference in immunostaining of RET in the adult mouse kidney.
The c-ret proto-oncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase which is important for the development of the kidney and the enteric nervous system. During nephrogenesis, c-ret is expressed in the ureteric bud epithelium and later in its derivative, the collecting duct. This takes place during 11-17.5 days post-coitum (d.p.c.) in the mouse and our immunohistochemical study showed that the RET protein co-localized with the transcript. At 18.5 d.p.c. the kidney is fully differentiated. At 18.5 d.p.c., 1 week and 10 weeks old, RET was found in the proximal convoluted tubules, which is formed from the condensed mesenchyme. This suggests that c-ret may also play a role in kidney function. For the 10 weeks old kidney, RET immunostaining in male was concentrated on the basolateral side while female had a stronger staining in the whole cell. Furthermore, cytoplasmic staining was observed in male whereas both cytoplasmic and nuclear staining was found in female. c-ret transcript was detected by RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization showed its expression throughout the kidney. The reason for the sex-specific staining and the role of RET in kidney function remain to be determined.
Department of Paediatrics, the University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
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Chan
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Lee
D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C494999:Ret protein, mouse