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Tissue-specific regulation of the concentration of calbindin D28K mRNA in the developing chicken

S Ferrari1, R Battini, E Drusiani

  • 1Istituto di Chimica Biologica, Università di Modena, Italy.

Life Sciences
|January 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Chicken Calbindin D28K mRNA expression varies in the brain and intestine during development. Intestinal expression is vitamin D-dependent, unlike cerebellar expression.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Calbindin D28K is a vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein.
  • Its expression patterns during development are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental expression of Calbindin D28K mRNA in chicken brain and intestine.
  • To determine the influence of vitamin D on Calbindin D28K mRNA levels in these tissues.

Main Methods:

  • Gene sequencing of the 5'-terminal portion of the Calbindin D28K gene.
  • Northern-blot hybridization using RNA from chicken brain and intestine at various developmental stages.

Main Results:

  • Calbindin D28K mRNA exists as a family of three size variants in both tissues.
  • Intestinal expression begins at hatching, peaks at day 7, and is vitamin D-dependent.
  • Cerebellar expression is detected pre-hatching, increases moderately at hatching, and remains stable post-hatching; it is not vitamin D-dependent.

Conclusions:

  • Calbindin D28K mRNA exhibits distinct developmental expression profiles in the chicken brain and intestine.
  • Vitamin D significantly regulates intestinal Calbindin D28K mRNA levels, but not in the cerebellum.

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