Abstract
BACKGROUND: The regulation of programmed cell death is critical to developmental homeostasis and normal morphogenesis of embryonic tissues. Survivin, a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAP) family primarily expressed in embryonic cells, is both an anti-apoptosis and a pro-survival factor. Since our previous studies have demonstrated the importance of apoptosis during embryonic submandibular salivary gland (SMG) development, we postulated that survivin is a likely mediator of SMG epithelial cell survival. RESULTS: We investigated the developmental expression of survivin in Pseudoglandular (approximately E14), Canalicular (approximately E15) and Terminal Bud (approximately E17) Stage SMGs. We report a significant 26% increase in transcript levels between the Canalicular and Terminal Bud Stages. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrate nuclear-localized survivin protein in epithelial cells bounding forming lumina in Canalicular and Terminal Bud Stage SMGs. CONCLUSIONS: Survivin is known to be a pro-survival and anti-apoptotic factor. Given that survivin translocation into the nucleus is required for the induction of entry into the cell cycle and the inhibition of apoptosis, our demonstration of nuclear-localized survivin protein in presumptive ductal and proacinar lumen-bounding cells suggests that survivin may be a key mediator of embryonic SMG epithelial cell survival.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 5 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | BMC Developmental Biology |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 1 |
State | Published - 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine