| First Author | Kenney NJ | Year | 1995 |
| Journal | Mol Reprod Dev | Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 277-86 |
| PubMed ID | 8588926 | Mgi Jnum | J:27180 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:74600 | Doi | 10.1002/mrd.1080410302 |
| Citation | Kenney NJ, et al. (1995) Detection and location of amphiregulin and Cripto-1 expression in the developing postnatal mouse mammary gland. Mol Reprod Dev 41(3):277-86 |
| abstractText | Amphiregulin (Ar) and Cripto-1 (Cr-1) are growth promoting peptides that share amino acid sequence homology with epidermal growth factor (EGF). The present study examined Ar and Cr-1 mRNA and protein expression during various stages of C57BL/6 mouse mammary morphogenesis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect transcripts for Ar and Cr-1 at all stages of mammary development. Immunocytochemical (ICC) localization demonstrated that in virgin 4-week to mature 12-week-old mouse fourth inguinal mammary gland, Ar and Cr-1 are expressed in the stromal cells, luminal epithelial cells, and myoepithelial cells of the branching ducts. Ar, and to lesser extent Cr-1, were also found in the epithelial cap cells and in the luminal epithelial cells of the advancing terminal end bud (TEB) from virgin 4-week and 6-week-old mice. Western blot analysis demonstrated that both Ar (28 and 26 kDa) and Cr-1 (90, 67, 56, and 21 kDa) proteins are expressed in virgin, 13.5 day midpregnant and in the 14 day lactating mammary gland. In addition, Ar and Cr-1 are associated with developing alveolar structures as determined by ICC. These results imply that together with EGF and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), Ar and Cr-1 may play salient roles as modifiers in the morphogenesis and differentiation of the mammary gland. |
