title: Patterns of expression of retinoic acid receptor beta 2 (RAR-beta2)-LacZ reporter gene in the embryonic foregut.
abstract: Vitamin A and its active form retinoic acid (RA) are essential for normal embryonic development. Maternal vitamin A deficiency in experimental animals is known to produce various developmental anomalies including foregut malformations and lung hypoplasia. However, there is a little known about the role of RA receptors in the developing foregut. Our aim was to study the pattern of expression of retinoic acid receptor beta 2 (RAR-beta2) in the region of the foregut during the early stages of embryonic development. Normal mouse embryos homozygous for the lacZ-fused RAR-beta2 promoter transgene were studied to detect the expression of RAR-beta2 in the embryonic foregut. Transverse and sagittal sections of the embryos were taken at the region of the foregut to observe for The normal pattern of expression of RARbeta2-LacZ between 9.5-12.5 days post conception. RAR-beta2-LacZ was expressed in the foregut tube on 9.5 and 10.5 dpc, mainly in the oesophageal part and maximally in the region of tracheo-oesophageal fold formation. This expression faded on day 11.5, and was not seen on 12.5 dpc. The change of RAR-beta2 expression between 9.5-11.5 dpc coincided with the time of tracheo-esophageal separation of the foregut. Our study has shown a possible RA-driven genetic activity during embryonic foregut development.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Surgical Unit, Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK. hosgabra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hany O S
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Gabra
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marven
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000196:embryology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005865:Gestational Age; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007763:Lac Operon; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; C082925:retinoic acid receptor beta