Original Article
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2009; 15(43): 5425-5431
Published online Nov 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5425
Expression and localization of Wolfram syndrome 1 gene in the developing rat pancreas
Rong Xu, Biao Xia, Jie Geng, Jing Shi, Hui Shi, Li Yuan, Wei De
Rong Xu, Biao Xia, Hui Shi, Li Yuan, Wei De, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Jie Geng, Jing Shi, First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Xu R and Xia B performed the majority of the experiments; Geng J, Shi J, Shi H and Yuan L provided vital reagents and analytical tools and were also involved in editing the manuscript; De W designed the study and wrote the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No. 30670781; and International Cooperation Project of Jiangsu Province, Grant No. BK2007117 and BZ2008062
Correspondence to: Wei De, MD, PhD, Professor of Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. dewei@njmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-25-86862728 Fax: +86-25-86862728
Received: August 8, 2009
Revised: September 23, 2009
Accepted: September 30, 2009
Published online: November 21, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression and function of Wolfram syndrome 1 gene (WFS1) during the development of normal pancreas.

METHODS: Pancreas from Sprague-Dawley rat fetuses, embryos, young and adult animals were used in this study. Expression levels of WFS1 in pancreas of different development stages were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reation (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. To identify the cell location of WFS1 in the developing rat pancreas, double-immunofluorescent staining was performed using antibodies to specific cell markers and WFS1, respectively.

RESULTS: Compared to E15.5, the highest level of WFS1 mRNA was detected at E18.5, the level of WFS1 mRNA in E15.5 and P0 was less, and at a lowest at adult (P < 0.05 vs P0 and adult), respectively. Compare to E15.5, the highest level of WFS1 was at P14 and lowest at P21 (P < 0.05 vs P14 and P21), respectively. The WFS1 positive staining is expressed in the normal developing rat pancreas mainly in the islet beta-cells and mesenchyme at each stage tested.

CONCLUSION: These results indicate that WFS1 may be involved in some aspects of pancreatic development and further research on WFS1 may provide new evidences to prove the interactions between mesenchyma and epithelia at the same time.

Keywords: Wolfram syndrome 1, Pancreas, Morphogenesis, Mesenchyme, Pancreatic beta cells