Comparative analysis of follistatin-, activin beta A- and activin beta B-mRNA steady-state levels in diverse porcine tissues by multiplex S1 nucleaseanalysis

Objective: The relation of activins (dimers of the beta-subunits of inhibin ) and follistatin (FS) (their binding protein) affect the growth and differ entiation of many cell types. Activin- and FS-mRNAs show a widespread co-ex pression throughout the organism, indicating an essential role for the FS/a ctivin system in diverse physiological processes. The present study was per formed to investigate FS-, activin beta A-, and activin beta B-mRNA express ion in porcine tissues and to compare the relative mRNA tissue distribution by a newly developed multiplex S1 nuclease protection assay. Methods: Twenty micrograms total RNA from different porcine tissues were su bjected to multiplex S1 analysis. Specific mRNA expression was determined b y measurements of optical densities on autoradiographs, Results: Activin beta A-mRNA expression was abundant in the ovary, adrenal gland, fat, vein, artery and uterus, activin beta B-mRNA was highly express ed in the ovary, pituitary, uterus, placenta, aorta and cerebellum. FS-mRNA showed a widespread expression with high levels in ovary uterus, cerebellu m, placenta and fat. The comparison of relative activin beta A-, activin be ta B- and FS-mRNA expression within a certain tissue showed a predominance of activin beta A-mRNA in the adrenal gland, fat, artery, spinal cord, cere brum and colon and of activin beta B-m RNA in pituitary, testis and placent a, while FS-mRNA levels exceeded those of activin subunits in epididymis, l iver, lymphoid tissue, muscle, intestine, cerebellum, ovary and uterus. Conclusions: The presented data provide an overview of FS-, activin beta A- , and activin beta B-mRNA steady state levels in porcine tissues.