Developmental expression of survivin during embryonic submandibular salivary gland development

• Main Authors: Wu Dingwen, Min Zhou Yan, Chen Haiming, Jaskoll Tina, Melnick Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2001-04-01
• Series: BMC Developmental Biology
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-213X/1/5

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We investigated the developmental expression of survivin in <it>Pseudoglandular</it> (~ E14), <it>Canalicular</it> (~ E15) and <it>Terminal Bud</it> (~ E17) Stage SMGs. We report a significant 26% increase in transcript levels between the <it>Canalicular</it> and <it>Terminal Bud</it> Stages. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrate nuclear-localized survivin protein in epithelial cells bounding forming lumina in <it>Canalicular</it> and <it>Terminal Bud</it> Stage SMGs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>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.</p>