title: Expression analysis of Dickkopf-related protein 3 (Dkk3) suggests its pleiotropic roles for a secretory glycoprotein in adult mouse.
abstract: Dickkopf-related protein 3 (Dkk3) is the third member of the Dkk gene family and identical to the gene, whose expression was reduced in immortalized cells. Therefore, its another name is reduced expression in immortalized cells. Since the intratumoral introduction of Dkk3 inhibits tumor growth in mouse models of cancers, Dkk3 is likely a tumor suppressor gene. However, the functions of Dkk3 in vivo remain unclear. As the first step to decipher the physiological roles of this gene, we examined the expression pattern of Dkk3 in various tissues from adult mice. In situ hybridization showed that Dkk3 mRNA was detected in the brain, retina, heart, gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands, thymus, prostate glands, seminal vesicles, testes, and ovaries in a regionally specific manner. Furthermore, we raised anti-mouse Dkk3 antibody and performed immunohistochemistry. Cytoplasmic localization of Dkk3 protein was observed in the cells of the adrenal medulla, while Dkk3 immunoreactivity was observed in the lumen of the stomach and intestine, implying that the Dkk3 protein may be secreted into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. These results suggest that Dkk3 has pleiotropic roles for a secretory glycoprotein that acts primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, thymus, endocrine and reproductive organs of the mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.|Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigakumachi, Takatsuki, 569-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center Okayama for Nanobio-targeted Therapy (ICONT), Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.|Niimi College, 1263-2 Nishigata, Niimi, Okayama, 718-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumon
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan. hohuchi@okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohuchi
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009928:Organ Specificity
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C405061:Dkk3 protein, mouse; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Dkk3; Immunohistochemistry; In situ hybridization; Mouse; REIC