This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Kafkas Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi
2022 , Vol 28 , Issue 5
The Expression Profile of Some Homeobox Proteins in the Bovine Liver During Prenatal Development
1Dicle University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, TR-21280 Diyarbakır - TÜRKİYE
DOI :
10.9775/kvfd.2022.27526
Homeobox proteins play critical roles in controlling processes such as morphogenesis and organogenesis in many organisms. Some
of these proteins are known to aff ect the formation, development and regeneration of the liver. In this context, the present study was aimed
at demonstrating the localization and expression intensity of some homeobox proteins in the bovine fetal liver during the diff erent stages
of gestation, determining whether or not these proteins are found in the structural components of the liver, and identifying their potential
physiological roles. Th e study material comprised of 27 clinically healthy bovine fetuses, which were obtained from slaughterhouses and
belonged to diff erent stages of gestation. Th e fetuses were grouped according to their crown-rump length (CRL) measurements. Liver samples
were taken from each study group and subjected to routine histological processing, followed by immunohistochemical staining. Th e staining
results showed that, throughout gestation, the expression intensities of the homeobox proteins HOXA10, HOXA11, HOXB6, TLX1, Dlx-5 and
HLX were stronger in the hepatocytes, compared to the hepatic artery, vena interlobularis and bile ducts. However, the expression intensity
of HLX was determined to have significantly decreased during the second and third trimesters of gestation, compared to the first trimester.
In conclusion, the expression of the investigated homeobox proteins at diff ering and similar levels in the hepatocytes, hepatic artery, vena
interlobularis and bile ducts of the bovine fetal liver during gestation could be interpreted as an important indicator of these proteins being
involved in the development and physiological activity of the fetal liver.
Keywords :
Bovine, Fetus, Hepatocytes, Homeobox proteins, Liver