Journal
GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS
Volume 23-24, Issue -, Pages 70-79Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2017.03.005
Keywords
Activin; Prostate; Development; Morphogenesis; Activin-C; Follistatin
Categories
Funding
- Health Research Council of New Zealand [09-259]
- National Health and Medical Research Council Australia [1008058]
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Activins and inhibins, members of the TGF-beta superfamily, are growth and differentiation factors involved in the regulation of several biological processes, including reproduction, development, and fertility. Previous studies have shown that the activin-beta(A) subunit plays a pivotal role in prostate development. Activin-A inhibits branching morphogenesis in the developing prostate, and its expression is associated with increased apoptosis in the adult prostate. Follistatin, a structurally unrelated protein to activins, is an antagonist of activin-A. A balance between endogenous activin-A and follistatin is required to maintain prostatic branching morphogenesis. Deregulation of this balance leads to branching inhibition or excessive branching and increased maturation of the stroma surrounding the differentiating epithelial ducts. Recent work identified another member of the TGF-b superfamily, the activin-beta(C) subunit, as a novel antagonist of activin-A. Over-expression of activin-C (beta(C)-beta(C)) alters prostate homeostasis, by interfering with the activin-A signaling. The current study characterized the spatiotemporal localization of activin-A, activin-C and follistatin in the adult and developing mouse prostate using immunohistochemical analysis. Results showed activin-C and follistatin are differentially expressed during prostate development and suggested that the antagonistic property of follistatin is secondary to the action of activin-C. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence to support a role of activin-C in prostate development and provides new insights in the spatiotemporal localization of activins and their antagonists during mouse prostate development. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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