EXPRESSION OF THE GUT-ENRICHED KRUPPEL-LIKE FACTOR GENE DURING DEVELOPMENT AND INTESTINAL TUMORIGENESIS

We examined the expression of GKLF (gut-enriched Kruppel-like factor), a recently identified zinc finger-containing transcription factor, in mice during development using the ribonuclease protection assay, In t he adult, the level of GKLF transcript is abundant throughout the gast rointestinal tract, Between embryonic days 10 and 19 (E10 and E19) of development, the initial level of whole embryo GKLF transcript is low but begins to rise on E13 and peaks on E17, In the newborn, GKLF trans cript level is higher in the colon than in the small intestine althoug h the levels in both organs rise with increasing age. Expression of GK LF was also examined in the intestinal tract of the Min mouse, a model of intestinal tumorigenesis. The level of GKLF transcript is signific antly decreased in the intestine of Min mice during a period of tumor formation when compared to age-matched control littermates. Our findin gs indicate that GKLF expression correlates,vith certain periods of gu t development and is down-regulated during intestinal tumorigenesis, s uggesting that GKLF may play a role in gut development and/or tumor fo rmation. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.