Prostate is a male sex-accessory organ. The prostatic epithelia consist primarily of basal and luminal cells that differentiate from embryonic urogenital sinus epithelia. Prostate tumors are believed to originate in the basal and luminal cells. However, factors that promote normal epithelial differentiation have not been well elucidated, particularly for bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling. This study shows that Bmp signaling prominently increases during prostatic differentiation in the luminal epithelia, which is monitored by the expression of phosphorylated Smad1/5/8. To elucidate the mechanism of epithelial differentiation and the function of Bmp signaling during prostatic development, conditional male mutant mouse analysis for the epithelial-specific Bmp receptor 1a (Bmpr1a) was performed. We demonstrate that Bmp signaling is indispensable for luminal cell maturation, which regulates basal cell proliferation. Expression of the prostatic epithelial regulatory gene Nkx3.1 was significantly reduced in the Bmpr1a mutants. These results indicate that Bmp signaling is a key factor for prostatic epithelial differentiation, possibly by controlling the prostatic regulatory gene Nkx3.1.

Background Cardiac regeneration in the adult mouse is not substantial. Some vertebrates, such as newts and zebrafish, regenerate the heart throughout their lives. To understand how regenerative abilities differ among animal species, comparative research has been conducted in animals like mouse, zebrafish, and newt. For those purposes, cryo‐injury is suitable as an experimental model for the pathological condition of human myocardial infarction. In fact, cryo‐injury procedures are common in mouse and zebrafish. Results In the present study, we induced cryo‐damage on the ventricle in Iberian ribbed newts using a liquid nitrogen‐chilled probe. We observed that the injured area recovered within 8 weeks, with remodeling of scar tissue and proliferation of cardiomyocytes. We investigated the subsequent recovery of cryo‐injured and amputated tissues by comparative analysis of the gene expression profiles following these two procedures. Conclusions Notably, we established a cryo‐injury procedure for the newt and confirmed that regeneration of the cryo‐damaged myocardial tissue is achieved by changes in gene expression that are milder than those observed in the amputation model. Our results suggest that the cryo‐injury method is suitable for comparing the process of cardiac regeneration in the newt with that in other animal models.

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