title: Temporospatially regulated expression of subtilisin-like proprotein convertase PACE4 (SPC4) during development of the rat submandibular gland.
abstract: The temporospatial expression of PACE4, a member of the mammalian subtilisin-like proprotein convertase family involved in the activation of growth/differentiation factors, was investigated by in situ hybridization during the development of the rat submandibular gland (SMG). At the initiation stage (day 15.5 of gestation; E15), PACE4 was intensely expressed in the submandibular epithelium, but weakly expressed in the mesenchymal cells. At E16 when the branching morphogenesis becomes obvious, the expression of PACE4 in the mesenchyme was further decreased, although its level in the submandibular epithelium had not changed remarkably from that at E15. During the next stage of embryonic development (E17-E20), PACE4 was expressed in the cells derived from the submandibular epithelium, which include the proacinar, terminal tubular, and presumptive ductal cells. In the perinatal SMG, PACE4 was still expressed intensely in the terminal portion of the SMG containing the proacinar and terminal tubular cells, whereas its expression in the ductal cells was obviously decreased at the second postnatal day (P2) and at P6. Acinar cells expressing no PACE4 appeared, and their numbers increased following their development (P9-P20). At P30 when the PACE4 expression in the acinar cells was completely suppressed, its expression in the ductal cells became intense again. This temporospatially regulated expression of PACE4 suggests its apparent association with the proliferation, differentiation, and establishment of functional acinar and ductal cells of the SMG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Oral Physiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.forename: Nunuk
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Purwanti
authors.forename: Mileva Ratko
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Karabasil
authors.forename: Xuefei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chenjuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hosoi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009024:Morphogenesis; D011247:Pregnancy; D043484:Proprotein Convertases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C513087:Pcsk6 protein, rat; D043484:Proprotein Convertases