出生后小鼠睾丸不同发育期TIMP-4的表达

Expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 in mouse testes after the postnatal period

金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子-4(TIMP-4)是TIMP家族的最新成员。已有研究表明,TIMP-4mRNA大量表达于成年小鼠的睾丸中。为了证实TIMP-4基因在出生后小鼠睾丸中的表达是否具有发育依赖性,本实验利用RT-PCR、Western blotting和间接免疫荧光染色三种方法,分别检测了TIMP-4mRNA和蛋白在出生后小鼠睾丸不同发育期中的时空表达方式。RT-PCR和Western blotting结果分别显示,TIMP-4mRNA和蛋白均只在成年小鼠睾丸中表达,而在出生后的其它各阶段都不表达;间接免疫荧光染色进一步证实TIMP-4蛋白只定位在成年小鼠睾丸的Leydig细胞中。结果提示,TIMP-4在出生后小鼠睾丸中的表达具有显著的发育依赖性.

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 （TIMP-4） is the newest member of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase family. In the present study, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and indirect immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate its spatial and temporal expression patterns in mouse testes after the postnatal period. Both RT-PCR and Western blotting results indicated that TIMP-4 was only expressed in adult testes and was not expressed during other developmental periods. The results of immunofluoresence staining further showed that TIMP-4 protein was intensively localized in Leydig cells. These data suggest that the expression of TIMP-4 in mouse testes after the postnatal period might be developmentaly dependent.