title: Expression Analysis of DGKK during External Genitalia Formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genetic variants in diacylglycerol kinase κ (DGKK) have been strongly associated with risk of hypospadias. We investigated the expression pattern of Dgkk during development of mouse external genitalia to better understand its function and mechanism in the etiology of hypospadias.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed Dgkk expression analysis via indirect immunofluorescence in histological sections of CD-1 mouse embryonic and postnatal male, female and diethylsilbestrol treated external genitalia. Histological findings were supplemented with DGKK expression analysis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In mouse external genitalia Dgkk was expressed in the membrane and cytoplasm of differentiating squamous epithelial cells of urethral plate/groove and epidermis but not in the undifferentiated epithelial cells of preputial lamina or basal layer of urethral groove epithelium. CD-1 gestation day 18 male mouse genital tubercle treated with oil or diethylstilbestrol showed similar patterns of Dgkk expression despite many morphological differences, including formation of preputial cleft observed in diethylsilbestrol treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dgkk appears to be a marker or mediator of squamous cell differentiation during development of mouse external genitalia. However, no association exists between Dgkk expression and formation of preputial cleft in the genital tubercle of diethylsilbestrol treated mice, suggesting that these 2 events may follow independent pathways in mice. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of DGKK in hypospadias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Baomei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Adriane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Laurence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Baskin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: Shweta.Choudhry@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choudhry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019852:Diacylglycerol Kinase / Q000235:genetics*; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D014521:Urethra / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D004054:Diethylstilbestrol; D019852:Diacylglycerol Kinase
keywords: gene expression profiling; genitalia; hypospadias