Distinct spatial and temporal distributions of aggrecan and versican in the embryonic chick heart.
Although chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are major components of the embryonic extracellular matrix, little attention has been paid to specific CSPGs in early heart development, in part because appropriate antibodies were not available. Therefore we prepared specific polyclonal antibodies against chicken aggrecan, versican, neurocan, and phosphacan. Western blotting and immunohistochemical studies revealed the presence of aggrecan and versican in stages 12-21 chicken embryo hearts in distinctive spatial and temporal patterns. Because this is the first demonstration of aggrecan in heart tissue, we further used RT-PCR to confirm that aggrecan is expressed in the heart and in situ hybridization to confirm the pattern of expression determined using antibodies. Versican is found in the myocardium and the myocardial basement membrane. In contrast, aggrecan is specifically colocalized with several groups of migrating cells including endocardial cushion tissue cells, epicardial cells, a mesenchymal cell population in the outflow tract that may be of neural crest origin, and a mesenchymal cell population in the inflow tract. The combined observations indicate that versican and aggrecan are expressed in unique patterns and suggest that they play very different roles in development.
Zanin
M K
MK
Division of Rheumatology, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Bundy
J
J
Ernst
H
H
Wessels
A
A
Conway
S J
SJ
Hoffman
S
S
D053674:Aggrecans; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000378:metabolism*; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058580:Neurocan; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D054633:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 5; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D053675:Versicans
D053674:Aggrecans; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D058580:Neurocan; D011509:Proteoglycans; C508322:VCAN protein, human; D053675:Versicans; C076817:NCAN protein, human; D012313:RNA; C516895:PTPRZ1 protein, human; D054633:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 5