Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
08:35
Identification of Alternative Splicing and Polyadenylation in RNA-seq Data
Published on: June 24, 2021
5.9K
Multiple Dlk1 splice variants are expressed during early mouse embryogenesis.
Antony J Miller1, Susan E Cole
1The Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, OH, USA.
The International Journal of Developmental Biology
|May 28, 2014
Summary
Delta-like homologue 1 (Dlk1) expression in early mouse embryos reveals multiple isoforms active during development. Understanding this complex Dlk1 signaling is crucial for deciphering its roles in growth and stem cell maintenance.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Delta-like homologue 1 (Dlk1) is an atypical Notch ligand involved in growth, development, stem cell maintenance, and cancer.
- Previous studies suggest complex Dlk1 expression patterns with multiple isoforms in various tissues.
- Early embryonic Dlk1 expression remains underexplored, hindering the interpretation of loss-of-function studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal and spatial expression of Dlk1 during early mouse embryogenesis.
- To identify which Dlk1 splice isoforms are present and their relative abundance in early embryos.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Dlk1 expression using molecular techniques in mouse embryos at Theiler Stages (TS) 14 through TS20.
- Identification and quantification of different Dlk1 splice isoforms.
Main Results:
- Dlk1 expression was first detected at TS14 and maintained in specific embryonic tissues up to TS20.
- All known Dlk1 splice isoforms were found to be expressed during early embryogenesis.
- Dlk1-A and Dlk1-C/C2 isoforms showed the highest expression levels.
Conclusions:
- Multiple Dlk1 isoforms are co-expressed broadly during early mouse development.
- This broad co-expression supports the hypothesis that Dlk1 signaling involves multiple isoforms to regulate cellular differentiation.
