Fascin Expression in Human Embryonic, Fetal, and Normal Adult Tissue

Fa-Ren Zhang ¹, Li-Hua Tao ¹, Zhong-Ying Shen ¹, Zhuo Lv ¹, Li-Yan Xu ¹ and En-Min Li ^1*

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (F-RZ,ZL,L-YX,E-ML) and Department of Pathology (F-RZ,L-HT,Z-YS,L-YX), Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nmli{at}stu.edu.cn.

Submitted on September 9, 2007
Accepted on 30 October 2007

	Abstract

This study investigates the distribution of fascin in human embryonic, fetal and normal adult tissues. Tissue microarray technology was used to perform immunohistochemical experiments on human embryos and fetuses at 4-22 weeks of gestation and adult specimens. Fascin was widely expressed in the nervous system. At 4 weeks’ gestation, fascin was present in the neural tube. At 8-12 weeks’ gestation, homogenous gene expression was seen in cells of the cerebellum and gastrointestinal tract. In later developmental stages and in adults, Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and glandular epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract showed no expression. Fascin was expressed in the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland at 8-12 weeks’ gestation, whereas immunoreactivity decreased from the zona glomerulosa through the zona reticularis and was essentially negative in the adrenal medulla of adults. Significant expression of fascin was seen throughout development in neurons, follicular dendritic cells of lymphoid tissue, basal layer cells of stratified squamous epithelia, mesenchyme and vascular endothelial cells. Simple columnar epithelia of the biliary duct, colon, ovary, pancreas and stomach were all negative for fascin expression. These results demonstrate that expression of fascin is time-specific and highly tissue-specific. Parallels between fascin expression in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis are discussed.

Key Words: fascin, development, embryo, tissue microarray, immunohistochemistry

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