Expression of the transcriptional intermediary factor TIF1 alpha during mouse development and in the reproductive organs

Nuclear receptors are important regulators of development and reproduction whose action can be modulated by transcriptional intermediary factors (TIFs ). In situ hybridization was used to investigate the expression pattern of the putative nuclear receptor mediator TIF1 alpha during mouse embryogenesi s and adult life. TIF1 alpha is ubiquitously expressed until midgestation. At 12.5 gestational days, TIF1 alpha is preferentially expressed in the dev eloping central and peripheral nervous system. Differential expression pers ists until perinatal stages, with high expression in the brain, nasal epith elium and within proliferating regions of the kidney and teeth. In the adul t, TIF1 alpha expression is predominant in both the male and female gonads. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed that TIF1 alpha protein is most ab undant in the nuclei of male germ cells at various stages of their maturati on. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.