Skip to main content
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1987 Jul;7(7):2335–2343. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.7.2335

Expression of rat transforming growth factor alpha mRNA during development occurs predominantly in the maternal decidua.

V K Han, E S Hunter 3rd, R M Pratt, J G Zendegui, D C Lee
PMCID: PMC365364  PMID: 3475565

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that transforming growth factor alpha is expressed during rodent development. To establish the site(s) of transforming growth factor alpha mRNA expression during rat embryogensis, we performed in situ hybridization and Northern blot analyses on samples of embryonic and maternal tissues at various gestational ages. Our results indicate that the high levels of transforming growth factor alpha mRNA that are observed during early development are the result of expression in the maternal decidua and not in the embryo. Decidual expression appears to be induced after implantation, peaks at day 8, and then slowly declines through day 15 at which time the decidua is being resorbed. Expression of transforming growth factor alpha mRNA is highest in that region of the decidua adjacent to the embryo and is low or nondetectable in the uterus, placenta, and other maternal tissues. The developmentally regulated expression of transforming growth factor alpha mRNA in the decidua, together with the presence of epidermal growth factor receptors in this tissue, suggests that transforming growth factor alpha stimulates proliferation locally through an autocrine mechanism. Since epidermal growth factor receptors are present in the embryo and placenta, transforming growth factor alpha produced in the decidua may also act on these tissues through paracrine or endocrine mechanisms.

Full text

PDF
2335

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aviv H., Leder P. Purification of biologically active globin messenger RNA by chromatography on oligothymidylic acid-cellulose. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Jun;69(6):1408–1412. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.6.1408. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chegini N., Rao C. V. Epidermal growth factor binding to human amnion, chorion, decidua, and placenta from mid- and term pregnancy: quantitative light microscopic autoradiographic studies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1985 Sep;61(3):529–535. doi: 10.1210/jcem-61-3-529. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cox K. H., DeLeon D. V., Angerer L. M., Angerer R. C. Detection of mrnas in sea urchin embryos by in situ hybridization using asymmetric RNA probes. Dev Biol. 1984 Feb;101(2):485–502. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(84)90162-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. De Larco J. E., Todaro G. J. Sarcoma growth factor (SGF): specific binding to epidermal growth factor (EGF) membrane receptors. J Cell Physiol. 1980 Feb;102(2):267–277. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1041020218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Derynck R., Jarrett J. A., Chen E. Y., Eaton D. H., Bell J. R., Assoian R. K., Roberts A. B., Sporn M. B., Goeddel D. V. Human transforming growth factor-beta complementary DNA sequence and expression in normal and transformed cells. Nature. 1985 Aug 22;316(6030):701–705. doi: 10.1038/316701a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Derynck R., Roberts A. B., Winkler M. E., Chen E. Y., Goeddel D. V. Human transforming growth factor-alpha: precursor structure and expression in E. coli. Cell. 1984 Aug;38(1):287–297. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90550-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Finn C. A. The biology of decidual cells. Adv Reprod Physiol. 1971;5:1–26. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Garris D. R. Decidual tissue growth and regression in the guinea pig: regulation by uterine blood flow and relation to circulating progesterone concentrations. Endocrinology. 1984 May;114(5):1599–1604. doi: 10.1210/endo-114-5-1599. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Golander A., Hurley T., Barrett J., Handwerger S. Synthesis of prolactin by human decidua in vitro. J Endocrinol. 1979 Aug;82(2):263–267. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0820263. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Han V. K., Hynes M. A., Jin C., Towle A. C., Lauder J. M., Lund P. K. Cellular localization of proglucagon/glucagon-like peptide I messenger RNAs in rat brain. J Neurosci Res. 1986;16(1):97–107. doi: 10.1002/jnr.490160110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kearns M., Lala P. K. Bone marrow origin of decidual cell precursors in the pseudopregnant mouse uterus. J Exp Med. 1982 May 1;155(5):1537–1554. doi: 10.1084/jem.155.5.1537. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lee D. C., Rochford R., Todaro G. J., Villarreal L. P. Developmental expression of rat transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Dec;5(12):3644–3646. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.12.3644. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lee D. C., Rose T. M., Webb N. R., Todaro G. J. Cloning and sequence analysis of a cDNA for rat transforming growth factor-alpha. Nature. 1985 Feb 7;313(6002):489–491. doi: 10.1038/313489a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Marquardt H., Hunkapiller M. W., Hood L. E., Todaro G. J. Rat transforming growth factor type 1: structure and relation to epidermal growth factor. Science. 1984 Mar 9;223(4640):1079–1082. doi: 10.1126/science.6320373. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Massagué J. Subunit structure of a high-affinity receptor for type beta-transforming growth factor. Evidence for a disulfide-linked glycosylated receptor complex. J Biol Chem. 1985 Jun 10;260(11):7059–7066. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Murdoch G. H., Potter E., Nicolaisen A. K., Evans R. M., Rosenfeld M. G. Epidermal growth factor rapidly stimulates prolactin gene transcription. Nature. 1982 Nov 11;300(5888):192–194. doi: 10.1038/300192a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nexø E., Hollenberg M. D., Figueroa A., Pratt R. M. Detection of epidermal growth factor-urogastrone and its receptor during fetal mouse development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 May;77(5):2782–2785. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.5.2782. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pike L. J., Marquardt H., Todaro G. J., Gallis B., Casnellie J. E., Bornstein P., Krebs E. G. Transforming growth factor and epidermal growth factor stimulate the phosphorylation of a synthetic, tyrosine-containing peptide in a similar manner. J Biol Chem. 1982 Dec 25;257(24):14628–14631. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rao C. V., Carman F. R., Jr, Chegini N., Schultz G. S. Binding sites for epidermal growth factor in human fetal membranes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984 Jun;58(6):1034–1042. doi: 10.1210/jcem-58-6-1034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Roberts A. B., Anzano M. A., Lamb L. C., Smith J. M., Frolik C. A., Marquardt H., Todaro G. J., Sporn M. B. Isolation from murine sarcoma cells of novel transforming growth factors potentiated by EGF. Nature. 1982 Feb 4;295(5848):417–419. doi: 10.1038/295417a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Roberts A. B., Anzano M. A., Lamb L. C., Smith J. M., Sporn M. B. New class of transforming growth factors potentiated by epidermal growth factor: isolation from non-neoplastic tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Sep;78(9):5339–5343. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.9.5339. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Roberts A. B., Frolik C. A., Anzano M. A., Sporn M. B. Transforming growth factors from neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues. Fed Proc. 1983 Jun;42(9):2621–2626. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schreiber A. B., Winkler M. E., Derynck R. Transforming growth factor-alpha: a more potent angiogenic mediator than epidermal growth factor. Science. 1986 Jun 6;232(4755):1250–1253. doi: 10.1126/science.2422759. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sherwin S. A., Twardzik D. R., Bohn W. H., Cockley K. D., Todaro G. J. High-molecular-weight transforming growth factor activity in the urine of patients with disseminated cancer. Cancer Res. 1983 Jan;43(1):403–407. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sporn M. B., Todaro G. J. Autocrine secretion and malignant transformation of cells. N Engl J Med. 1980 Oct 9;303(15):878–880. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198010093031511. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Twardzik D. R. Differential expression of transforming growth factor-alpha during prenatal development of the mouse. Cancer Res. 1985 Nov;45(11 Pt 1):5413–5416. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Twardzik D. R., Ranchalis J. E., Todaro G. J. Mouse embryonic transforming growth factors related to those isolated from tumor cells. Cancer Res. 1982 Feb;42(2):590–593. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ullrich A., Shine J., Chirgwin J., Pictet R., Tischer E., Rutter W. J., Goodman H. M. Rat insulin genes: construction of plasmids containing the coding sequences. Science. 1977 Jun 17;196(4296):1313–1319. doi: 10.1126/science.325648. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Zhinkin L. N., Samoshkina N. A. DNA synthesis and cell proliferation during the formation of deciduomata in mice. J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1967 Jun;17(3):593–605. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. de Larco J. E., Todaro G. J. Growth factors from murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Aug;75(8):4001–4005. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.8.4001. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES