Sampling technique to discriminate the different tissue layers of growing antler tips for gene discovery

The utilization of a deer antler model to study gene expression in tissues undergoing rapid growth has been hampered by an inability to sample the different tissue types. We report here a standardized procedure to identify different tissue types in growing antler tips and demonstrate that it can hel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Anatomical record 2002-10, Vol.268 (2), p.125-130
Main Authors: Li, Chunyi, Clark, Dawn E., Lord, Eric A., Stanton, Jo‐Anne L., Suttie, James M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
antler
Antlers - growth & development
Antlers - physiology
Blotting, Northern
cartilage
Cartilage - growth & development
Cartilage - physiology
Deer
dissection
Dissection - methods
Gene Expression
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
growth
histology
RNA, Messenger - analysis
Specimen Handling - methods
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Summary:The utilization of a deer antler model to study gene expression in tissues undergoing rapid growth has been hampered by an inability to sample the different tissue types. We report here a standardized procedure to identify different tissue types in growing antler tips and demonstrate that it can help in the classification of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). The procedure was developed using observable morphological markers within the unstained tissue at collection, and was validated by histological assessments and virtual Northern blotting. Four red deer antlers were collected at 60 days of growth and the tips (top 5 cm) were then removed. The following observable markers were identified distoproximally: the dermis (4.86 mm), the subdermal bulge (2.90 mm), the discrete columns (6.50 mm), the transition zone (a mixture of discrete and continuous columns) (3.22 mm), and the continuous columns (8.00 mm). The histological examination showed that these markers corresponded to the dermis, reserve mesenchyme, precartilage, transitional tissue from precartilage to cartilage, and cartilage, respectively. The gene expression studies revealed that these morphologically identified layers were functionally distinct tissue types and had distinct gene expression profiles. We believe that precisely defining these tissue types in growing antler tips will greatly facilitate new discoveries in this exciting field. Anat Rec 268:125–130, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ISSN:0003-276X
1097-0185
DOI:10.1002/ar.10120