Anti-ITGA5 monoclonal antibody, clone DC50f [FITC]

Background: Fibronectin 1 ( FN1), a glycoprotein component of the extracellular matrix, exerts different functions during reproductive processes such as fertilisation, gastrulation and implantation. FN1 expression has been described to increase significantly from the morula towards the early blastocyst stage, suggesting that FN1 may also be involved in early blastocyst formation. By alternative splicing at 3 defined regions, different FN1 isoforms are generated, each with a unique biological function. The analysis of the alternative FN1 splicing on the one hand and the search for candidate FN1 receptors on the other hand during early bovine embryo development may reveal more about its function during bovine preimplantation embryo development. Results: RT-qPCR quantification of the FN1 splice isoforms in oocytes, embryos, cumulus cells and adult tissue samples revealed a large variation in overall FN1 expression and in splice variant expression. Moreover, two new FN1 transcript variants were identified, the first one expressed in bovine preimplantation embryos and the second one expressed in cumulus cells. In the search for candidate receptors for the new embryo specific FN1 isoform, RNA expression analysis identified 5 a integrin subunits (ITGA2B, ITGA3, ITGA5, ITGA8, ITGAV) and 2 beta integrin subunits ( ITGB1 and ITGB3) with a similar or overlapping RNA expression pattern as compared to FN1. But double immunofluorescent stainings could not confirm complete co-localisation between FN1 and one out of 3 selected integrins alpha subunits ( ITGA3, ITGA5, ITGAV). Conclusion: The existence of a new FN1 transcript variant, specifically expressed in morulae and blastocysts strengthens the idea that FN1 is involved in the process of compaction and blastocyst formation. Analysis of the integrin expression could not identify the binding partner for the embryo specific FN1 transcript variant making further steps necessary for the identification of the FN1 receptor and the downstream effects of FN1-receptor binding.

Objectives: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a dilatation of the infrarenal aorta, typically affects males >65 years. The pathobiological mechanisms of human AAA are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to identify novel pathways involved in the development of AAAs. Methods: A custom-designed 'AAA-chip' was used to assay 43 of the differentially expressed genes identified in a previously published microarray study between AAA (n = 15) and control (n = 15) infrarenal abdominal aorta. Protein analyses were performed on selected genes. Results: Altogether 38 of the 43 genes on the 'AAA-chip' showed significantly different expression. Novel validated genes in AAA pathobiology included ADCY7, ARL4C, BLNK, FOSB, GATM, LYZ, MFGE8, PRUNE2, PTPRC, SMTN, TMODI and TPM2. These genes represent a wide range of biological functions, such as calcium signaling, development and differentiation, as well as cell adhesion not previously implicated in AAA pathobiology. Protein analyses for GATM, CD4, CXCR4, BLNK, PLEK, LYZ, FOSB, DUSP6, ITGA5 and PTPRC confirmed the mRNA findings. Conclusion: The results provide new directions for future research into AAA pathogenesis to study the role of novel genes confirmed here. New treatments and diagnostic tools for AAA could potentially be identified by studying these novel pathways. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel