Dynamic patterns of PTK7 protein expression in adult mouse tissues

PTK7 belongs to a subgroup of receptor protein tyrosine kinases with inactive catalytic activity of the protein tyrosine kinase(PTK), which is known to be important for signal attenuation, cell adhesion, and regulation of planar cell polarity. In this study, to decipher possible biological roles of PTK7, we examined the tissue distribution and localization of PTK7 protein in adult mouse tissues. PTK7-positive signals were detected in variety of tissues and cells in multiple systems, including respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive organs, as well as liver and pancreas. These expression profiling data imply various physiological roles of PTK7 in multiple organ systems. Interestingly, among various tissues examined, no specific signal was detected in the heart and muscles. Taken together, dynamic patterns of protein expression in adult tissues strongly suggest PTK7 may play important roles during organogenesis and histogenesis.