Abstract
Recent evidence that Wnts and other genes in the Wnt signaling pathway are expressed in embryonic and adult mouse lung suggests that this pathway is important for cell fate decisions and differentiation of lung cell types. We therefore examined the expression and protein distribution of several Wnt pathway components during prenatal mouse lung development using whole-mount in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Between embryonic days 10.5 and 17.5 (E10.5-E17.5), beta-catenin was localized in the cytoplasm, and often also the nucleus, of the undifferentiated primordial epithelium (PE), differentiating alveolar epithelium (AE; present from E14.5 onward), and adjacent mesenchyme. Tcf1, Lef1, Tcf3, Tcf4, sFrp1, sFrp2 and sFrp4 were also expressed in the PE, AE, and adjacent mesenchyme in specific spatio-temporal patterns.
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Cell Differentiation
-
Cell Lineage
-
Cytoplasm / metabolism
-
Cytoskeletal Proteins / biosynthesis*
-
DNA-Binding Proteins / biosynthesis*
-
Glycoproteins / biosynthesis*
-
Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha
-
Immunohistochemistry
-
In Situ Hybridization
-
Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
-
Lung / embryology*
-
Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
-
Mice
-
T Cell Transcription Factor 1
-
Time Factors
-
Trans-Activators*
-
Transcription Factors / biosynthesis*
-
beta Catenin
Substances
-
CTNNB1 protein, mouse
-
Cytoskeletal Proteins
-
DNA-Binding Proteins
-
Glycoproteins
-
Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha
-
Hnf1a protein, mouse
-
Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
-
Lef1 protein, mouse
-
Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
-
T Cell Transcription Factor 1
-
Trans-Activators
-
Transcription Factors
-
WD repeat containing planar cell polarity effector
-
beta Catenin