Developmental expression of survivin during embryonic submandibular salivary gland development.
BACKGROUND
The regulation of programmed cell death is critical to developmental homeostasis and normal morphogenesis of embryonic tissues. Survivin, a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAP) family primarily expressed in embryonic cells, is both an anti-apoptosis and a pro-survival factor. Since our previous studies have demonstrated the importance of apoptosis during embryonic submandibular salivary gland (SMG) development, we postulated that survivin is a likely mediator of SMG epithelial cell survival.


RESULTS
We investigated the developmental expression of survivin in Pseudoglandular (approximately E14), Canalicular (approximately E15) and Terminal Bud (approximately E17) Stage SMGs. We report a significant 26% increase in transcript levels between the Canalicular and Terminal Bud Stages. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrate nuclear-localized survivin protein in epithelial cells bounding forming lumina in Canalicular and Terminal Bud Stage SMGs.


CONCLUSIONS
Survivin is known to be a pro-survival and anti-apoptotic factor. Given that survivin translocation into the nucleus is required for the induction of entry into the cell cycle and the inhibition of apoptosis, our demonstration of nuclear-localized survivin protein in presumptive ductal and proacinar lumen-bounding cells suggests that survivin may be a key mediator of embryonic SMG epithelial cell survival.
Jaskoll
T
T
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, University of Southern California, USA. tiaskoll@hsc.usc.edu
Chen
H
H
Min Zhou
Y
Y
Wu
D
D
Melnick
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D005865:Gestational Age; D018922:HL-60 Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000077022:Survivin; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000235:genetics
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin