Human Molecular Genetics, Vol 5, 1259-1267, Copyright © 1996 by Oxford University Press
S Yotsumoto, H Fujiwara, JH Horton, TA Mosby, X Wang, Y Cui and MS Ko
While constructing a catalog of mouse cDNAs which are expressed in the
maternal-fetal interface during the peri-implantation period, we
encountered a 1.6 kb cDNA clone showing a strong sequence similarity to the
3' untranslated region of the human dystroglycan gene. We cloned an
additional 1.7 kb cDNA by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and confirmed
that this is a true mouse homolog of human dystroglycan cDNA by sequence
analyses, Southern blotting, and genetic mapping of this gene on the distal
region of mouse chromosome 9. Although it is well established that
dystroglycan, a transmembrane protein, plays an important role in muscle
tissues by bridging intracellular dystrophin to the laminin in the
extracellular matrix, its role in non-muscle tissues remains elusive. To
further investigate the role of the dystroglycan gene at the
peri-implantation stage, we analyzed the expression patterns of this gene
by in situ hybridization, which revealed that this gene is specifically
expressed in decidual cells, especially in the cells surrounding the
implantation site at 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5 day post conception (p.c.) stages,
but not expressed in non- pregnant endometrial cells of uterus nor in the
decidua at 12.5 day p.c. Further analyses by RT-PCR confirmed that the
amount of dystroglycan mRNA in 8.5 day p.c. decidua was indeed 100-fold
higher than that of non-pregnant uterus and 12.5 day p.c. mature placenta.
These results suggest that dystroglycan may work as a mediator for adhesion
between decidual cells themselves or between decidual cells and trophoblast
cells, and provide a structural and functional support for maintaining
pregnancy at its early stage.
ARTICLES
Cloning and expression analyses of mouse dystroglycan gene: specific expression in maternal decidua at the peri-implantation stage
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
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