LI‐cadherin gene expression during mouse intestinal development

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Abstract
LI‐cadherin (Liver‐Intestine cadherin) is a member of a subclass (7‐D cadherins) within the cadherin superfamily. Although its cellular function as a cell–cell adhesion molecule has been demonstrated in cell culture studies, its physiological function still needs to be explored in the intact organism. After isolating the cDNA for mouse LI‐cadherin, we generated specific antibodies against the overexpressed protein and studied its expression pattern in adult mouse tissues and mouse embryos. The mouse LI‐cadherin sequence is 91% identical to the sequence of rat LI‐cadherin and exhibits the same structural features described for rat LI‐cadherin. In mouse adult tissue, LI‐cadherin is expressed in the intestine and in small amounts in the spleen. In contrast to rat, Mouse LI‐cadherin was not expressed in liver. During mouse embryogenesis, LI‐cadherin expression begins at embryonic day 12.5. With the exception of transient expression in the urogenital sinus and the common bile duct on day 13.5, LI‐cadherin was found exclusively in the intestinal epithelium. Its expression coincides with the formation of intestinal villi, a developmental stage that includes major tissue remodeling, growth, and differentiation. LI‐cadherin is expressed along the entire anterior–posterior axis of the developing intestine as well as along the entire villus axis once villi begin to form. LI‐cadherin occupies all cell surfaces of the deeper layers of the epithelium, distributing to basolateral surfaces only in the cells of the outer epithelial layer. LI‐cadherin was found to be always co‐expressed with E‐cadherin.