Premium
Cathepsin D gene expression outlines the areas of physiological cell death during embryonic development
Author(s) -
ZuzarteLuis V.,
Montero J.A.,
TorrePerez N.,
GarciaPorrero J.A.,
Hurle J.M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21076
Subject(s) - biology , tunel assay , programmed cell death , terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase , cathepsin , apoptosis , embryo , cathepsin d , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , cathepsin l , cathepsin b , in situ hybridization , gene , gene expression , embryogenesis , genetics , enzyme , biochemistry
The implication of lysosomes in the activation of physiological cell death (PCD) was proposed some decades ago. In this work, we show that the expression of the lysosomal enzyme cathepsin D is up‐regulated in developing tissues undergoing apoptosis. By comparing vital and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick end‐labeling (TUNEL) labeling patterns with in situ hybridization for this gene in a variety of tissues and organs, we show that this procedure constitutes a reliable technique to map the regions of PCD in the embryo. Using this methodological approach, we report the occurrence of two new areas of PCD in the developing limb. Developmental Dynamics 236:880–885, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.