Biomaterial Database

Spatial and temporal expression of transferrin gene in the rat mammary gland. 1994

J Y McCracken, and A J Molenaar, and R J Wilkins, and M R Grigor

Molecular Biology Group, AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand.

The distribution and concentration of transferrin mRNA in the rat mammary gland was analyzed using in situ hybridization, and the results were compared with those obtained for other milk protein mRNA. The [35S]RNA probes prepared from rat cDNA for transferrin and for alpha-, beta-, and gamma-caseins, alpha-lactalbumin, and whey acidic protein were used to probe mammary tissue from rats in late pregnancy and at different stages of lactation. The overall level of transferrin gene expression varied in a biphasic manner, decreasing after parturition to barely detectable levels at d 2 to 10 of lactation before increasing again markedly in late lactation. This temporal pattern contrasts sharply with that observed for the other genes, for which levels tended to rise or to remain relatively stable until late lactation. The spatial patterns of transferrin expression were also quite distinct, and, even during the period of low expression, some alveoli showed high concentrations of transferrin mRNA. In contrast, intramammary distribution of mRNA for the other genes was relatively uniform. Our results show that the patterns of transferrin gene expression differ both spatially and temporally from those of five other milk protein genes and suggest that transferrin gene expression is controlled by a regulatory system that turns individual alveoli either fully on or fully off.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D007768	Lactalbumin	A major protein fraction of milk obtained from the WHEY.	alpha-Lactalbumin,alpha-Lactalbumin A,alpha-Lactalbumin B,alpha-Lactalbumin C,alpha Lactalbumin,alpha Lactalbumin A,alpha Lactalbumin B,alpha Lactalbumin C
D008321	Mammary Glands, Animal	MAMMARY GLANDS in the non-human MAMMALS.	Mammae,Udder,Animal Mammary Glands,Animal Mammary Gland,Mammary Gland, Animal,Udders
D008894	Milk Proteins	The major protein constituents of milk are CASEINS and whey proteins such as LACTALBUMIN and LACTOGLOBULINS. IMMUNOGLOBULINS occur in high concentrations in COLOSTRUM and in relatively lower concentrations in milk. (Singleton and Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed, p554)	Milk Protein,Protein, Milk,Proteins, Milk
D002364	Caseins	A mixture of related phosphoproteins occurring in milk and cheese. The group is characterized as one of the most nutritive milk proteins, containing all of the common amino acids and rich in the essential ones.	alpha-Casein,gamma-Casein,AD beta-Casein,Acetylated, Dephosphorylated beta-Casein,Casein,Casein A,K-Casein,Sodium Caseinate,alpha(S1)-Casein,alpha(S1)-Casein A,alpha(S1)-Casein B,alpha(S1)-Casein C,alpha(S2)-Casein,alpha-Caseins,beta-Casein,beta-Caseins,epsilon-Casein,gamma-Caseins,kappa-Casein,kappa-Caseins,AD beta Casein,Caseinate, Sodium,K Casein,alpha Casein,alpha Caseins,beta Casein,beta Caseins,beta-Casein Acetylated, Dephosphorylated,beta-Casein, AD,epsilon Casein,gamma Casein,gamma Caseins,kappa Casein,kappa Caseins
D005260	Female		Females
D000067816	Whey Proteins	The protein components of milk obtained from the whey.	Whey Protein,Protein, Whey,Proteins, Whey
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001345	Autoradiography	The making of a radiograph of an object or tissue by recording on a photographic plate the radiation emitted by radioactive material within the object. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Radioautography
D012333	RNA, Messenger	RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.	Messenger RNA,Messenger RNA, Polyadenylated,Poly(A) Tail,Poly(A)+ RNA,Poly(A)+ mRNA,RNA, Messenger, Polyadenylated,RNA, Polyadenylated,mRNA,mRNA, Non-Polyadenylated,mRNA, Polyadenylated,Non-Polyadenylated mRNA,Poly(A) RNA,Polyadenylated mRNA,Non Polyadenylated mRNA,Polyadenylated Messenger RNA,Polyadenylated RNA,RNA, Polyadenylated Messenger,mRNA, Non Polyadenylated