The Expression Of C-MET In The Development Of Rat Pancreas

The c-met oncogene encodes a transmembrane tyrosine kinasereceptor c-MET. In the rat, c-met are up-regulated in injured tissues.In order to investigate the expression of c-MET in developmentalpancreas, we investigate the trendency of c-met mRNA expressionby microarrary chips and RT-PCR. By western blotting and immuno-histological, we detect the expression and localization of c-METprotein in different development stages of rat pancreas. The c-metmRNA begain to expressed at the E15.5, increased significently atthe E18.5, decreased again in adult pancreas. The expressiontrendency of those genes related to c-met we detected in ourmicroarray chips consistent with c-met. Western blotting resultsshow that the levels of the c-MET protein increased from theembryonic day 18.5 (E18.5), reached highigest at the neonatal day21, with a 50 fold increase,decreased again in the adult pancreas.c-MET present two specific isforms in the developmental pancreas. Immunohistochemical analysis of c-MET show the localization ofc-MET changed with the developmental pancreas, c-MET are majorlocated in the ductal epithelial cells of the fetal and adult pancreas.Neonatal days, it located in the endocrine and exocrine pancreasextensively. All of these suggesting c-MET tyrosine kinase receptorparticipate the process of the development and function maturationof rat pancreas, especially in the important apoptosis andregeneration stages of neonatal pancreas.