Differential Cellular Expression of Galectin Family mRNAs in the Epithelial Cells of the Mouse Digestive Tract

Abstract

Galectin is an animal lectin that recognizes beta-galactosides of glycoconjugates and is abundant in the gut. This study revealed the cellular expression of galectin subtypes throughout the mouse digestive tract by in situ hybridization. Signals for five subtypes (galectin-2, -3, -4/6, and -7) were detected exclusively in the epithelia. In the glandular stomach, galectin-2 and -4/6 were predominantly expressed from gastric pits to neck of gastric glands, where mucous cells were the main cellular sources. The small intestine exhibited intense, maturation-associated expressions of galectin-2, -3, and -4/6 mRNAs. Galectin-2 was intensely expressed from crypts to the base of villi, whereas transcripts of galectin-3 gathered at villous tips. Signals for galectin-4/6 were most intense at the lower half of villi. Galectin-2 was also expressed in goblet cells of the small intestine but not in those of the large intestine. In the large intestine, galectin-4/6 predominated, and the upper half of crypts simultaneously contained transcripts of galectin-3. Stratified epithelium from the lip to forestomach and anus intensely expressed galectin-7 with weak expressions of galectin-3. Because galectins in the digestive tract may be multi-functional, information on their cell/stage-specific expression contributes to a better understanding of the functions and pathological involvements of galectins.

Histochemical demonstration of a Na+-coupled transporter for short-chain fatty acids (Slc5a8) in the intestine and kidney of the mouse

“…The procedure for in situ hybridization was described previously (17). In brief, three non-overlapping 45-mer antisense oligonucleotide probes for mouse Slc5a8 mRNA were synthesized and labeled with 33 P-dATP using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TOYOBO, Osaka, Japan).…”

Lgals6, a 2-Million-Year-Old Gene in Mice: A Case of Positive Darwinian Selection and Presence/Absence Polymorphism

“…Galectin-4 and galectin-6, when present, are abundantly expressed in the digestive tract from the glandular stomach to the rectum, their expression being especially intense in the large intestine (Gitt et al 1998a;Nio et al 2005). In the enterocyte brush border, galectin-4 has been implicated in both the intracellular clustering and apical delivery of lipid rafts (Delacour et al 2005).…”

Histological Mapping and Subtype-Specific Functions of Galectins in Health and Disease

“…Other subtypes exhibit organ-specific expression, and the digestive tract expresses the most galectin members (galectin-2, -3, -4, -6, -7, and -9) (7,8) (Fig. 1A).…”

“…As described above, galectin-3 is an epithelial type of galectin that is broadly expressed in various types of epithelia in the body. Galectin-7 is a specific subtype expressed in the stratified squamous epithelium such as that in the skin, lips, oral cavity, esophagus, forestomach, and anus in the digestive tract and the vagina in the female reproductive tract (7,8) (Fig. 2A).…”

“…The unique transition of the major galectin subtype during epithelial differentiation is observed in the simple columnar epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract. In the glandular stomach and small intestine, a shift occurs in the galectin subtypes expressed in the epithelium from galectin-2, to galectin-4/6, and then galectin-3 in association with epithelial cell differentiation and maturation (7,8). For example, immature epithelial cells in the upper crypts and bottom of the villi in the small intestine contain abundant amounts of galectin-2.…”