Patterns of expression of retinoic acid receptor beta 2 (RAR-β2)-LacZ reporter gene in the embryonic foregut

• Published in: Pediatric surgery international Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 199 - 204
• Main Authors: Gabra, Hany O. S., Marven, Sean, Ward, Simon J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.02.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Digestive System - embryology; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Gestational Age; Immunohistochemistry; Lac Operon; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mice; Original Article; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Receptors, Retinoic Acid - genetics; Surgery; Embryo; Retinoic acid receptor beta 2; Oesophagus; Retinoic acid; Foregut
• ISSN: 0179-0358; 1437-9813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00383-007-2060-1

Vitamin A and its active form retinoic acid (RA) are essential for normal embryonic development. Maternal vitamin A deficiency in experimental animals is known to produce various developmental anomalies including foregut malformations and lung hypoplasia. However, there is a little known about the role of RA receptors in the developing foregut. Our aim was to study the pattern of expression of retinoic acid receptor beta 2 (RAR-β2) in the region of the foregut during the early stages of embryonic development. Normal mouse embryos homozygous for the lacZ-fused RAR-β2 promoter transgene were studied to detect the expression of RAR-β2 in the embryonic foregut. Transverse and sagittal sections of the embryos were taken at the region of the foregut to observe for The normal pattern of expression of RARβ2-LacZ between 9.5–12.5 days post conception. RAR-β2-LacZ was expressed in the foregut tube on 9.5 and 10.5 dpc, mainly in the oesophageal part and maximally in the region of tracheo-oesophageal fold formation. This expression faded on day 11.5, and was not seen on 12.5 dpc. The change of RAR-β2 expression between 9.5–11.5 dpc coincided with the time of tracheo-esophageal separation of the foregut. Our study has shown a possible RA-driven genetic activity during embryonic foregut development.