title: β-Actin protein expression differs in the submandibular glands of male and female mice.
abstract: β-actin, a cytoskeletal protein, is the most widely used housekeeping gene. Although housekeeping genes are expressed in all tissues, the β-actin gene is expressed in certain cell types because of differential binding of transcriptional factors to the regulatory elements of the gene. The expression and localization of β-actin protein in the submandibular glands (SMG) of mice were investigated in this study, using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. In ICR and C57BL/6J mice, the levels of β-actin protein in the SMG of females are significantly higher than those in the SMG of males. β-actin protein is majorly distributed in acinar cells of SMG. There is no significant difference in the expression level of β-actin protein between females and castrated males. After castrated male ICR mice are treated with 10 mg/kg/day testosterone propionate (TP) for 3 weeks, the levels of β-actin protein in SMG decrease. The numbers of duct per unit area increase, whereas the numbers of acinus per unit area decrease after TP administration. These data suggest that β-actin protein is mainly distributed in acinar cells of SMG and results in a marked sexual dimorphism in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai, 201508, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lingfei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qiaoyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Chenjuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Shali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D043343:Testosterone Propionate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D043343:Testosterone Propionate
keywords: acinar cell; cell-type specificity; ductal cell; submandibular gland; β-actin