Differential spatio-temporal expression of alpha-dystrobrevin-1 during mouse development

• Published in: Gene Expression Patterns Vol. 4; no. 5; pp. 583 - 593
• Main Authors: Lien, Chun Fu, Vlachouli, Christina, Blake, Derek J, Simons, J.Paul, Górecki, Dariusz C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.09.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Blotting, Western; Central Nervous System - metabolism; Development; Dystrophin-associated protein complex; Dystrophin-Associated Proteins - metabolism; Epithelium - metabolism; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Immunohistochemistry; Mice - embryology; Mice - metabolism; Muscular dystrophy; Sense Organs - metabolism; α-dystrobrevin-1; Development; α-dystrobrevin-1; Dystrophin-associated protein complex; Muscular dystrophy
• ISSN: 1567-133X; 1872-7298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2004.01.015

Dystrobrevins are a family of dystrophin-related and dystrophin-associated proteins. α-dystrobrevin-1 knockout mice suffer from skeletal and cardiac myopathies. It has been suggested that the pathology is caused by the loss of signalling functions but the exact role of dystrobrevins is largely unknown. We have analysed the spatial and temporal expression of α-dystrobrevin-1 during mouse embryogenesis and found striking developmental regulation and distribution patterns. During development this protein was expressed not only in muscle but also in the CNS, sensory organs, epithelia and skeleton. Particularly interesting was the correlation of α-dystrobrevin-1 expression with the induction of various differentiation processes in the developing eye, inner ear, pituitary, blood-brain barrier, stomach epithelium and areas of the brain, dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. In contrast, this specific expression at the induction phase decreased/disappeared at later stages of development.