Related Experiment Videos
Expression of the c-ret proto-oncogene during mouse embryogenesis
V Pachnis1, B Mankoo, F Costantini
1Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|December 1, 1993
Summary
The murine c-ret proto-oncogene is crucial for vertebrate development, showing expression in developing nervous and excretory systems. This suggests c-ret
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The c-ret proto-oncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase with an undetermined normal function.
- Investigating c-ret's role in vertebrate development is essential for understanding gene function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate murine c-ret cDNA clones.
- To analyze the spatiotemporal expression pattern of c-ret during mouse embryogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of murine c-ret cDNA clones.
- Expression analysis using Northern blotting.
- In situ hybridization to histological sections and whole-mount hybridization histochemistry.
Main Results:
- c-ret transcripts detected from day 8.5 of embryogenesis.
- Expression observed in developing peripheral and central nervous systems (cranial ganglia, autonomic and dorsal root ganglia, enteric nervous system, spinal cord, hindbrain, retina).
- Expression also noted in the excretory system (nephric duct, ureteric bud epithelium, renal collecting ducts).
Conclusions:
- c-ret expression is widespread in various neuronal cell lineages during development.
- c-ret is involved in kidney organogenesis, specifically in the ureteric bud and collecting ducts.
- The c-ret gene likely encodes a receptor for factors regulating neuronal development and kidney organogenesis.