A rt-pcr study of the distribution of connexin 43 mrna in the
glomerulus and renal tubular segments.
Guo, Rong, Li Liu, Luciano Barajas.
Department of Pathology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 West
Carson Street, Torrance, California 90509
APStracts 5:0133R, 1998.
A RT-PCR study of the distribution of connexin 43 mRNA in glomeruli
and along the rat tubular segments was carried out in order to
establish the differential expression of Cx43 in the different
segments of the tubule, in renal regions, isolated glomerular
preparations (IGP) and in microdissected glomeruli (G). The mRNA
level of Cx43 in macrodissected renal regions appeared in the
following order: inner papilla (IP) > outer papilla (OP) and IGP
> outer medulla (M) and cortex (C). Among the microdissected
tubules, inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD) expressed the
highest level of Cx43 mRNA, followed by the cortical collecting ducts
(CCD). The proximal convoluted tubules (PCT) and proximal straight
tubules (PST) expressed significantly less Cx43 than the IMCD,
glomeruli and CCD. Medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) and distal
convoluted tubules (DCT) showed lowest level of Cx43 mRNA. The RT-PCR
results of the microdissected segments correlate well with those
obtained by RT-PCR of the renal regions. The high concentration of
Cx43 mRNA in the IMCD together with the observation of abundant
punctate immunofluorescence for Cx43 suggests that the IMCD not only
expresses Cx43 mRNA but also that the mRNA is translated to Cx43
protein.
Received 23 February 1998; accepted in final form 31 March 1998.
APS Manuscript Number R117-8.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1998 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 24 April 1998