Developmental expression analysis of murine autotaxin (ATX)

The murine homologue of the human motility-stimulating protein autotaxin (A TX) was identified as a BMP2 upregulated gene by subtractive cloning from m esenchymal progenitors C3H10T1/2 (Bachner, D., Ahrens, M., Betat, N., Schro der, D., Hoffmann, A., Lauber, J., Steinert, P., Flohe, L., Gross, G., 1998 . Bmp-2 downstream targets in mesenchymal development identified by subtrac tive cloning from recombinant mesenchymal progenitors (C3H10T1/2). Dev. Dyn . 213, 398-411). ATX mRNA transcription is induced during BMP2 mediated ost eo-/chondrogenic differentiation in vitro several orders of magnitude. To d elineate a potential role for ATX in osteo-/chondrogenic development. its e xpression pattern during murine embryogenesis was examined in comparison wi th Col1a1 and Col2a1, a marker either of osteoblast, odontoblast and tendon or of chondrocyte development, respectively. Localization of murine ATX wa s first observed in the floor plate of the neural tube at day 9.5 of mouse embryonic development. Later, enhanced ATX expression levels were observed in proliferating subepithelial mesenchyme, during osteo-/chondrogenic and t ooth development, in choroid plexus epithelium. in late kidney development. and in smooth muscles of the ductus deferens and the bladder. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.