title: Characterization of chicken endoglin, a member of the zona pellucida family of proteins, and its tissue expression.
abstract: Endoglin is a TGF-β co-receptor expressed in endothelial cells, where it plays a crucial role in angiogenesis, cardiovascular development and vascular remodeling. In humans, mutations in the endoglin gene give rise to Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia type 1 (HHT1), an autosomal dominant disorder associated with vascular lesions in skin, mucosa and internal organs. So far, endoglin cDNA has been sequenced in several species from mammals, amphibians and birds. While in mammals the characterization of endoglin protein expression and function is well documented, little is known about the protein homologue in birds. In silico analysis by multiple sequences alignment showed a low homology score of 30-33 between the full length chicken endoglin protein and several mammalian homologues. However, a high homology score (80-85) was observed with the cytoplasmic and transmembrane regions and the overall structure of the zona pellucida (ZP) and orphan domains of the extracellular region appear to be conserved. Transient expression of chicken endoglin allowed the identification of a 180-kDa disulfide linked homodimer similar to the mammalian homologues. To further characterize its tissue expression, the novel specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) 7H5A8 was generated against chicken endoglin transfectant cells. The mAb 7H5A8 specifically recognized chicken endoglin by western blot, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence flow cytometry as well as immunofluorescence microscopy assays and displayed a positive staining of the endothelium in veins and arteries from frozen tissue sections of lung and bursa of Fabricius. These results may help to further understand the endoglin expression in vertebrates.
authors: Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, c/Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Elisa
authors: E
authors: Rossi
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Langa
authors: Alvaro
authors: A
authors: Gilsanz
authors: Francisco J
authors: FJ
authors: Blanco
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Ayllón
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Villar
authors: Luisa M
authors: LM
authors: Botella
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Cabañas
authors: Marlene
authors: M
authors: Shaw
authors: Carmelo
authors: C
authors: Bernabeu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD