Nadeau A, Grondin G, Blouin R
Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
J Histochem Cytochem. 1997 Jan;45(1):107-18. doi: 10.1177/002215549704500114.
ZPK is a recently described protein serine/threonine kinase that has been originally identified from a human teratocarcinoma cell line by the polymerase chain reaction and whose function in signal transduction has not yet been elucidated. To investigate the potential role of this protein kinase in developmental processes, we have analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of expression of the ZPK gene in mouse embryos of different gestational ages. Northern blot analysis revealed a single mRNA species of about 3.5 KB from Day 11 of gestation onwards. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated strong expression of ZPK mRNA in brain and in a variety of embryonic organs that rely on epitheliomesenchymal interactions for their development, including skin, intestine, pancreas, and kidney. In these tissues, the ZPK mRNA was localized primarily in areas composed of specific types of differentiating cells, and this expression appeared to be upregulated at a time concomitant with the onset of terminal differentiation. Taken together, these observations raise the possibility that the ZPK gene product is involved in the establishment and/or maintenance of a fully cytodifferentiated state in a variety of cell lineages.
ZPK是一种最近被描述的蛋白丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶，最初是通过聚合酶链反应从人畸胎瘤细胞系中鉴定出来的，其在信号转导中的功能尚未阐明。为了研究这种蛋白激酶在发育过程中的潜在作用，我们分析了不同胎龄小鼠胚胎中ZPK基因表达的时空模式。Northern印迹分析显示，从妊娠第11天起，有一个约3.5KB的单一mRNA种类。原位杂交研究表明，ZPK mRNA在脑以及多种依赖上皮-间充质相互作用进行发育的胚胎器官中强烈表达，包括皮肤、肠道、胰腺和肾脏。在这些组织中，ZPK mRNA主要定位于由特定类型的分化细胞组成的区域，并且这种表达似乎在终末分化开始时同时上调。综上所述，这些观察结果增加了ZPK基因产物参与多种细胞谱系中完全细胞分化状态的建立和/或维持的可能性。
