Expression of hedgehog family genes in the rat uterus during early pregnancy.
Hedgehog (Hh) plays a pivotal role in various tissues during embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and tumorigenesis. In mammals, Hh exists in three homologs: Desert hedgehog (Dhh), Indian hedgehog (Ihh) and Sonic hedgehog (Shh). In this study, we cloned full-length cDNAs encoding Dhh and Ihh from the rat uterus. Their amino acid sequences have a high homology with those of the mouse and human. In addition, the changes of Hh gene expression in the rat uterus during early pregnancy were analyzed. The results showed that all three hedgehog mRNAs were detected in the rat uterus at the proestrus stage and during early pregnancy (1.5, 3.5, 5.5 and 7.5 days post coitus: dpc). Ihh mRNA expression varied and peaked at 3.5 dpc in the luminal and glandular epithelium. Expression was decreased on 5.5 dpc with the exception of sustained expression in the glandular epithelium. Despite such Ihh variability, the expressions of Dhh and Shh mRNA remained unchanged. This indicated that Ihh was mainly expressed in the rat uterus during early pregnancy. Moreover, the Hh target gene (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1; Gli1) was also highly expressed at 3.5 dpc in the epithelium and periepithelial stroma in a manner similar to the temporal pattern of Ihh expression. This suggests that Ihh signaling axis play a role in the rat uterus during early pregnancy. In summary, our results elucidate that Ihh is a predominant Hh protein in the rat uterus during early pregnancy and that other Hhs have the potential to be expressed. This observation will help to elucidate the basic molecular mechanism of rat uterus during early pregnancy.
Kubota
Kaiyu
K
Department of Animal and Marine Bioresource Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yamauchi
Nobuhiko
N
Matsumoto
Kenji
K
Watanabe
Ryo
R
Oozono
Shinji
S
Aramaki
Shinya
S
Wood
Chris
C
Soh
Tomoki
T
Hattori
Masa-Aki
MA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
C498521:Gli1 protein, rat; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1