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Chicken parathyroid hormone-related protein and its expression during embryologic development
D T Schermer1, S D Chan, R Bruce
1Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA.
Summary
Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) plays a role in embryonic development. This study cloned chicken PTHrP and found its gene expressed across multiple tissues in developing chick embryos.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Endocrinology
- Comparative Genomics
Background:
- The physiological role of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is largely unknown, despite its association with humoral hypercalcemia in malignancy.
- Evidence suggests PTHrP may be involved in embryonic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clone the gene for chicken parathyroid hormone-related protein (cPTHrP).
- To investigate the expression patterns of PTHrP during chick embryonic development.
Main Methods:
- Genomic DNA hybridization to identify the cPTHrP gene.
- Screening a chicken genomic library to identify the open reading frame.
- RNA hybridization to analyze PTHrP expression in developing chick embryos.
Main Results:
- A single-copy gene encodes cPTHrP, with conserved structural features for receptor binding compared to human PTHrP (hPTHrP).
- Hybridization revealed a 1.45 kb band in tissues from all three germ layers (brain, heart, lung, liver, etc.) in 3-15 day old chick embryos.
- An additional 1.2 kb band was detected in some embryonic tissues.
Conclusions:
- The conservation of PTHrP sequence between chicken and mammals suggests a significant physiological role.
- PTHrP expression is widespread in embryonic tissues, supporting its involvement in developmental processes.