Abstract
Using a series of gene-specific oligonucleotide probes, we have explored the developmental pattern of expression of six members of the rat kallikrein gene family (PS, S1, S2, S3, K1, and P1) in the submandibular gland (SMG) and kidney of both sexes, the prostate and testis of the male, and the anterior pituitary gland (AP) of the female rat. PS (true kallikrein) mRNA was detected in early neonatal life in the SMG and kidney of both sexes. K1, a second kallikrein gene family member expressed in the adult kidney, had a developmental pattern similar to PS in the kidney. In contrast, tonin (S2), S3, K1, and P1, all of which are expressed in the adult SMG, did not reach detectable SMG mRNA levels until puberty in either the male or female rat. Both S3 and P1, which are expressed in the adult prostate, and the novel P1-like mRNA previously detected in the adult rat testis, first appeared in early puberty. In the female AP, PS mRNA levels were not detected until early puberty and thus exhibited a developmental profile different from that of prolactin. The demonstration that S1, S2, S3, P1, and K1 are not expressed in the SMG or prostate until puberty is consistent with the expression of these genes in these tissues being androgen-regulated; the first appearance of PS mRNA in the female AP in early puberty similarly reflects the estrogen dependence of PS gene expression in this tissue. The presence of PS mRNA levels in the SMG and kidney prior to sexual maturation reflects the androgen independence of PS gene expression and suggests that PS (true kallikrein) may play a constitutive and/or developmental role in SMG or renal physiology.
Highlights
Using a series of gene-specific oligonucleotide probes, we have explored the developmental pattern of expression of six members of the rat kallikrein gene family (PS, Sl, 52, S3, Kl, and Pl) in the submandibular gland (SMG) and kidney of both sexes, the prostate and testis of the male, and the anterior pituitary gland (AP) of the female rat
PS mRNA levels were detectable in both the SMG and kidney at 10 days of age and reached adult levels, relative to 18 S levels, by 30-40 days (Fig. 1)
A similar pattern, with much lower levels, was observed for Kl mRNA in the kidney; the exon 4 Sl oligomer, which is identical in sequence with Kl (Table I), hybridized to Kl in the kidney and Kl and Sl in the SMG (Fig. 1, Sl/Kl panel)
Summary
SMG, kidney, prostate, and testis were collected from male rats which were 10, 15, 20, 24, 30, and 40 days old. In the second, extended time period study, the same tissues were collected from male rats, and SMG, kidney, and anterior pituitaries from female rats 1 day prior to birth and 1, 5, 12, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 80, and 100 days old. Hybridization with the cDNA or longer (30-mer) 18 S control oligonucleotide probe, blots were prehybridized for 4-24 h at. CDNA probes were labeled with [o-“2P]dCTP (BRESATEC, Adelaide, South Australia, 1800 Ci/mmol) to a specific activity of 10R-109 cpm/pg by the method of Feinberg and Vogelstein [24]. The oligonucleotide probes were end-labeled with [Y-~*P]ATP (BRESATEC, Adelaide, South Australia, 2000 Ci/mmol) to a similar specific activity
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