Expression of ezrin in human embryonic, fetal, and normal adult tissues

Ezrin, which cross-links the cytoskeleton and plasma membrane, was involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Here, to investigate the distribution of ezrin, tissue microarray technology was employed to perform immunohistochemical experiments on human embryos, fetuses at 4 to 22 weeks' gestation, and adult tissue specimens. Results showed that ezrin was widely expressed in the gastrointestinal tract throughout the human developmental stages studied. At 6 to 8 weeks' gestation, ezrin was found in epithelial cells, and this staining pattern was particularly pronounced in the brush border of mature absorptive cells lining the villus in later developmental stages and adult tissues. Throughout neural development, ezrin was only expressed in the neural tube at 4 weeks' gestation. Ezrin was also detected in the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland at 8 to 12 weeks' gestation, whereas its immunoreactivity was increased from the zona glomerulosa through the zona reticularis and was essentially undetectable in the adrenal medulla of adult tissues. Significant expression of ezrin was seen throughout development in the kidney, spleen, lymph nodes, and cells of stratified squamous epithelia. However, ezrin was undetectable in lung, liver, heart, and blood vessels. These results demonstrated that the expression pattern of ezrin was highly time specific and tissue specific.