Quantification of galectin-7 and its localization in adult mouse tissues.
We developed a method to quantify galectin-7 extracted from adult mouse tissues by Western blot analysis. More than 0.5 ng of galectin-7 per mg of tissue was detectable by this method. The amounts of galectin-7 in tissues were determined as follows: skin, 62 +/- 3 ng/mg; esophagus, 23 +/- 8 ng/mg; stomach, 18 +/- 6 ng/mg; anus, 13 +/- 1 ng/mg; and tongue, 12 +/- 2 ng/mg. This indicates that galectin-7 production coincides with the degree of stratification of the epithelia. Interestingly, we also detected significant amounts of galectin-7, 5.9 plus minus 1.4 and 2.7 +/- 0.6 ng/mg, in the trachea and ovaries, respectively. Moreover, we found that galectin-7 is localized in the pseudostratified epithelium of the trachea and stromal epithelium of the ovaries by immunohistochemistry. Thus, galectin-7 protein might be produced primarily in stratified epithelia, but also in some wet epithelia, and plays a unique role in cell-mucus contact, or the growth of ovarian follicles.
Sato
Miki
M
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
Nishi
Nozomu
N
Shoji
Hiroki
H
Kumagai
Mika
M
Imaizumi
Tadaatsu
T
Hata
Yuiro
Y
Hirashima
Mitsuomi
M
Suzuki
Shigehiko
S
Nakamura
Takanori
T
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D037161:Galectins; C092525:LGALS7 protein, human; D037102:Lectins; C490487:Lgals7 protein, mouse; D011994:Recombinant Proteins