Immunolocalization of Wilms' Tumor protein (WT1) in developing human peripheral sympathetic and gastroenteric nervous system.

Developmental expression of Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) and protein is crucial for cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and cytoskeletal architecture regulation. Recently, a potential role of WT1 has been suggested in the development of neural tissue and in neurodegenerative disorders. We have investigated immunohistochemically the developmentally regulated expression and distribution of WT1 in the human fetal peripheral sympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and the gastro-enteric nervous system (GENS) from weeks 8 to 28 gestational age.

Immunohistochemical expression of Wilms' tumor protein (WT1) in developing human epithelial and mesenchymal tissues.

The Wilms' tumor (WT1) gene and its protein product are known to exhibit a dynamic expression profile during development and in the adult organism. Apart from a nuclear expression observed in the urogenital system, its precise localization in other developing human tissues is still largely unknown. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate immunohistochemically the temporal and spatial distribution of WT1 in epithelial and mesenchymal developing human tissues from gestational weeks 7-24.