title: Smoothelin expression during chicken embryogenesis: detection of an embryonic isoform.
abstract: Two isoforms of a novel smooth muscle cell (SMC) -specific cytoskeletal protein, smoothelin, have been described. In the adult chick, the 55-kDa smoothelin-A is expressed in visceral SMC, whereas the 120-kDa smoothelin-B is the major product in vascular SMC. Chicken was chosen to study smoothelin expression during embryogenesis and neonatally. Smoothelin-B was found in vascular SMC from stage 20 onward. In visceral SMC, smoothelin-B was present from stage 29 until hatching. Perinatally, a strong up-regulation of smoothelin synthesis was observed in visceral tissues, coinciding with a switch to the A-isoform. Transient smoothelin synthesis was observed in the somites and the developing heart. Western blotting revealed in these tissues a 62-kDa smoothelin isoform, designated smoothelin-C. Expression of the smoothelin isoforms seems to be strictly controlled with respect to cell type and developmental stage and may be related to the mode of contraction of the different cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. M.C.DeRuiter@LUMC.nl
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Deruiter
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rensen
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Coolen
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hierck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergwerff
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Debie
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gittenberger-De Groot
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Van Eys
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms