Immunohistochemical localization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in adult and developing mouse tissues

We used immunohistochemical techniques to analyze the cell distribution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in adult and developing mouse tissues. PEPCK immunoreactivity was detected in many tissues, including some that had not been previously reported to contain PEPCK enzyme activity (bladder, stomach, ovary, vagina, parotid gland, submaxillary gland, and eye). In some multicellular tissues, PEPCK immunoreactivity was observed in multiple cell types. Several tissues (spleen, thyroid, and submaxillary gland) contained no detectable PEPCK immunoreactivity. During development, PEPCK immunoreactivity was associated with the developing nervous system and somites in 15-day embryos. At prenatal day 18, PEPCK immunoreactivity was detected only in the nervous system. At prenatal day 20, PEPCK immunoreactivity was observed in many of the tissues that contain PEPCK in the adult, with the exception of liver, lung, and stomach. PEPCK immunoreactivity was detected in liver at postnatal day 1, lung at postnatal day 7, and stomach after postnatal day 21. The only tissue in which PEPCK immunoreactivity decreased during development was the pancreas, where PEPCK immunoreactivity was detected at prenatal day 20 and was present until postnatal day 21. These results suggest that PEPCK expression is cell-type specific, more widespread than previously thought, and differentially expressed during development.