Title
Reduced salivary gland size and increased presence of epithelial progenitor cells in DLK1-deficient mice
Date Issued
01 June 2016
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
García-Gallastegui P.
Luzuriaga J.
Aurrekoetxea M.
Baladrón V.
Ruiz-Hidalgo M.J.
Laborda J.
Unda F.
Ibarretxe G.
University of the Basque Country
Publisher(s)
Springer Verlag
Abstract
DLK1 (PREF1, pG2, or FA1) is a transmembrane and secreted protein containing epidermal growth factor-like repeats. Dlk1 expression is abundant in many tissues during embryonic and fetal development and is believed to play an important role in the regulation of tissue differentiation and fetal growth. After birth, Dlk1 expression is abolished in most tissues but is possibly reactivated to regulate stem cell activation and responses to injury. We have recently reported that DLK1 regulates many aspects of salivary gland organogenesis. Here, we have extended our studies of the salivary gland phenotype of Dlk1 knock-out mice. We have observed that salivary glands are smaller and weigh significantly less in both Dlk1 knock-out males and females compared with gender and age-matched wild-type mice and regardless of the natural sexual dimorphism in rodent salivary glands. This reduced size correlates with a reduced capacity of Dlk1-deficient mice to secrete saliva after stimulation with pilocarpine. However, histological and ultrastructural analyses of both adult and developing salivary gland tissues have revealed no defects in Dlk1(−/−) mice, indicating that genetic compensation accounts for the relatively mild salivary phenotype in these animals. Finally, despite their lack of severe anomalies, we have found that salivary glands from Dlk1-deficient mice present a higher amount of CK14-positive epithelial progenitors at various developmental stages, suggesting a role for DLK1 in the regulation of salivary epithelial stem cell balance.
Start page
513
End page
525
Volume
364
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología del desarrollo
Bioquímica, Biología molecular
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84952031140
PubMed ID
Source
Cell and Tissue Research
ISSN of the container
0302766X
Sponsor(s)
This work was financed with project grants from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (UFI11/44) and the Basque Government (IT831-13 and Saiotek SA12-210). P.G. received a fellowship from the University of the Basque Country UPV/ EHU.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus