Temporal–Spatial Expression of Inversin and Dishevelled-1 in Yotari (Dab1−/−) Mouse Stomach Suggests Dab1-Linked Gastrointestinal Developmental Alterations

Abstract

Background: We investigated the temporal and spatial expression of Inversin and Dvl-1 in the developing stomach of yotari mice at E13.5 and E15.5 to assess their potential involvement in Dab1-related gastrointestinal developmental alterations.

Methods: Protein expression was assessed by immunofluorescence and quantitative image analysis in stomach sections from yotari (Dab1−/−) and control C57BL/6N embryos at embryonic day (E) 13.5 and E 15.5, corresponding to mid and late-gestational developmental stages. Group and stage differences were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test.

Main findings: Hematoxylin–eosin staining showed no morphological differences between groups. At E13.5, Inversin was strongly expressed in mesenchyme in both groups but was significantly lower in yotari compared to controls (p < 0.01). By E15.5, epithelial Inversin expression was significantly higher in yotari mice than in controls (p < 0.00001), with mesenchymal signal increasing from E13.5 to E15.5 (p < 0.01). Dvl-1 expression was reduced in yotari mesenchyme at E13.5 (p < 0.01) but showed significantly higher epithelial expression at E15.5 compared with controls (p < 0.01), indicating distinct temporal–spatial expression shifts associated with Dab1 deficiency.

Principal conclusion: Yotari (Dab1−/−) mice exhibit stage- and compartment-specific alterations in Inversin and Dvl-1 expression during stomach development. These changes likely reflect Dab1-linked disturbances in Wnt signaling dynamics, providing new insight into potential molecular mechanisms underlying gastrointestinal developmental abnormalities in this model.