title: Comparison of gene expression of the oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway components in the mouse and human epididymis.
abstract: β-catenin is an integral part of the Wnt signaling pathway and has been linked to tumorigenesis and multiple developmental processes. The high β-catenin expression with low tumor incidence in the human epididymis is thus intriguing. In the present study, the β-catenin gene and protein was found to be highly expressed in the murine caput epididymidis, and the protein mainly localized along the lateral plasma membranes of adjacent epithelial cells throughout both human and mouse epididymides. Furthermore, the adult mouse epididymis was found to express almost all the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway genes that were determined previously by our group in the human organ. Despite the differences in epididymal structure, the similar location of β-catenin and the high concordance of this pathway's components' gene expression in both the adult human and mouse epididymides make the mouse a suitable animal model for studying the anti-tumor mechanism of the epididymis. In addition, both the mRNA and protein expression of β-catenin shared a similar spatial expression as the mRNA of Ros1, a proto-oncogene and a key developmental regulator of the initial segment of the mouse epididymis. The observations on the parallel temporal expression of β-catenin and Ros1 during postnatal development raise the possibility that the canonical Wnt signaling pathway has an additional role in the postnatal development of mouse epididymis.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Ludong University; Central Laboratory, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ching-Hei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Trevor G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Xue-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Fu-Jun
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004822:Epididymis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051157:Frizzled Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C501127:Dkk1 protein, mouse; C405061:Dkk3 protein, mouse; C513131:Dkk4 protein, mouse; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C062333:ROS1 protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C483813:Ros1 protein, mouse