Expression Patterns and Potential Biological Roles of Dip2a

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 25;10(11):e0143284. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143284. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Disconnected (disco)-interacting protein 2 homolog A is a member of the DIP2 protein family encoded by Dip2a gene. Dip2a expression pattern has never been systematically studied. Functions of Dip2a in embryonic development and adult are not known. To investigate Dip2a gene expression and function in embryo and adult, a Dip2a-LacZ mouse model was generated by insertion of β-Gal cDNA after Dip2a promoter using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Dip2a-LacZ mouse was designed to be a lacZ reporter mouse as well as a Dip2a knockout mouse. Heterozygous mice were used to study endogenous Dip2a expression and homozygotes to study DIP2A-associated structure and function. LacZ staining indicated that Dip2a is broadly expressed in neuronal, reproductive and vascular tissues, as well as in heart, kidney, liver and lung. Results demonstrate that Dip2a is expressed in ectoderm-derived tissues in developing embryos. Adult tissues showed rich staining in neurons, mesenchymal, endothelial, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes by cell types. The expression pattern highly overlaps with FSTL1 and supports previous report that DIP2A to be potential receptor of FSTL1 and its protective roles of cardiomyocytes. Broad and intense embryonic and adult expression of Dip2a has implied their multiple structural and physiological roles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Organ Specificity / genetics
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / genetics*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
  • beta-Galactosidase / genetics

Substances

  • Dip2a protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • beta-Galactosidase

Grants and funding

This work is supported in whole or in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31301189 and 81270953), Research Funds for Central Universities (12QNJJ015 and 10JCXK001), Research Fund for Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20130043120010), Science-Technology Foundation for Young Scientist of Jilin Province (20130522003JH) and Program of International S&T cooperation (2015 DFA31580). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis or decision to publish.