TY - JOUR
T1 - Immunolocalization of hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor (c-Met) during mouse liver development
AU - Ishikawa, Kiyoshi S.
AU - Masui, Tohru
AU - Ishikawa, Katsutoshi
AU - Shiojiri, Nobuyoshi
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This work was performed through Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Japanese Government. This work was also supported in part by a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society to K.S. Ishikawa. We thank Mr. Kim Barrymore for help in preparing the manuscript.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Although hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was discovered as a potent hepatotrophic factor responsible for liver regeneration and may involve some organ development in embryogenesis, it remains to be revealed what roles HGF plays in liver development. The present study was undertaken to determine which cells express HGF and its receptor c-Met and when c-Met is activated in mouse liver development by using immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques. HGF was detected in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells, including biliary epithelial cells, periportal connective tissue cells, megakaryocytes, endothelial cells, and sinusoidal cells, throughout liver development. Positive HGF immunostaining in hepatocytes increased during postnatal development, and reached the maximal level in the adult stage. c-Met protein was also expressed in hepatocytes throughout liver development, but maximal staining was obtained in 1- or 2-week-old livers. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the c-Met β chain also occurred in these stages. These results suggest that HGF signaling is implicated in hepatocyte growth during postnatal liver development, and its action could be in a paracrine mode; HGF produced by non-parenchymal cells such as sinusoidal cells acts on hepatocytes expressing c-Met receptors. Positive immunostaining in adult and postnatal hepatocytes may be derived from their blood clearance of HGF.
AB - Although hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was discovered as a potent hepatotrophic factor responsible for liver regeneration and may involve some organ development in embryogenesis, it remains to be revealed what roles HGF plays in liver development. The present study was undertaken to determine which cells express HGF and its receptor c-Met and when c-Met is activated in mouse liver development by using immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques. HGF was detected in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells, including biliary epithelial cells, periportal connective tissue cells, megakaryocytes, endothelial cells, and sinusoidal cells, throughout liver development. Positive HGF immunostaining in hepatocytes increased during postnatal development, and reached the maximal level in the adult stage. c-Met protein was also expressed in hepatocytes throughout liver development, but maximal staining was obtained in 1- or 2-week-old livers. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the c-Met β chain also occurred in these stages. These results suggest that HGF signaling is implicated in hepatocyte growth during postnatal liver development, and its action could be in a paracrine mode; HGF produced by non-parenchymal cells such as sinusoidal cells acts on hepatocytes expressing c-Met receptors. Positive immunostaining in adult and postnatal hepatocytes may be derived from their blood clearance of HGF.
KW - Growth
KW - HGF
KW - Hepatocytes
KW - Mouse
KW - c-Met
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U2 - 10.1007/s00418-001-0342-6
DO - 10.1007/s00418-001-0342-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 11735009
AN - SCOPUS:0035208270
SN - 0948-6143
VL - 116
SP - 453
EP - 462
JO - Histochemistry and Cell Biology
JF - Histochemistry and Cell Biology
IS - 5
ER -