Expression Patterns of the Lysophospholipid Receptor Genes During Mouse Early Development

Lysophospholipids (LPs) such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SIP) are known to mediate various biological responses, including cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. To better understand the role of these lipids in mammalian early development, we applied whole-mount in situ hybridization techniques to E8.5 to E12.5 mouse embryos. We determined the expression patterns of the following LP receptor genes, which belong to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family: EDG1 to EDG8 (S1P(1) to S1P(5) and LPA(1) to LPA(3)), LPA(4) (GPR23 /P2Y9), and LPA(5) (GPR92). We found that the S1P/LPA receptor genes exhibit overlapping expression patterns in a variety of organ primordia, including the developing brain and cardiovascular system, presomitic mesoderm and somites, branchial arches, and limb buds. These results suggest that multiple receptor systems for LPA/S1P lysophospholipids may be functioning during organogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 237.3280-3294, 2008. (C) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.