Differential expression and distribution of alternatively spliced transcripts of PDGF-A and of PDGF receptor-α in mouse reproductive tissues

Platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) affects cellular activities such as proliferation, differentiation, and development by way of paracrine or autocrine interaction with PDGF-A receptor alpha (PDGFR-alpha). Two forms of alternatively spliced PDGF-A mRNA, a long and a short isoform, have been found in several mammalian species. Expression of PDGF-A and its cognate receptor PDGFR-alpha has been well studied in various tissues. However, these investigations did not distinguish between the individual isoforms of PDGF-A. In the present investigation, we identified the differential cellular expression patterns of the two isoforms of PDGF-A and of PDGFR-alpha in mouse reproductive tissues by using laser capture microdissection coupled with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The long PDGF-A mRNA isoform was primarily detected in the epithelium, while the short isoform was ubiquitously distributed in epithelium, stroma, and muscle cells, although it was still more prominent in epithelium. PDGFR-alpha was mainly detected in stromal and muscle cells. Also, it was found in the epididymal epithelium, mucosal folds of the seminal vesicle, and ovarian granulosa cells. Thus, the complete PDGF-A/PDGFR-alpha signaling system is present in murine reproductive tissues, but the distribution of the long and short isoforms of PDFG-A differs.