Nkx2.3 transcription factor is a key regulator of mucous cell identity in salivary glands.
Dev Biol
; 509: 1-10, 2024 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38311164
ABSTRACT
Saliva is vital to oral health, fulfilling multiple functions in the oral cavity. Three pairs of major salivary glands and hundreds of minor salivary glands contribute to saliva production. The secretory acinar cells within these glands include two distinct populations. Serous acinar cells secrete a watery saliva containing enzymes, while mucous acinar cells secrete a more viscous fluid containing highly glycosylated mucins. Despite their shared developmental origins, the parotid gland (PG) is comprised of only serous acinar cells, while the sublingual gland (SLG) contains predominantly mucous acinar cells. The instructive signals that govern the identity of serous versus mucous acinar cell phenotypes are not yet known. The homeobox transcription factor Nkx2.3 is uniquely expressed in the SLG. Disruption of the Nkx2.3 gene was reported to delay the maturation of SLG mucous acinar cells. To examine whether Nkx2.3 plays a role in directing the mucous cell phenotype, we analyzed SLG from Nkx2.3-/- mice using RNAseq, immunostaining and proteomic analysis of saliva. Our results indicate that Nkx2.3, most likely in concert with other transcription factors uniquely expressed in the SLG, is a key regulator of the molecular program that specifies the identity of mucous acinar cells.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Transcription Factors
/
Proteomics
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Dev Biol
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States