Transcriptional profiling of inductive prostatic mesenchyme

Background: The mesenchymal compartment plays a key role in organogenesis and cells within the mesenchyme/stroma are a source of potent molecules that control epithelia during development and tumourigenesis. We have used Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) to profile a key subset of prostatic mesenchyme that regulates prostate development and is enriched for growth-regulatory molecules. Results: SAGE libraries were made of prostatic inductive mesenchyme (VMP) and the complete prostatic rudiment (including inductive mesenchyme, epithelium and smooth muscle; VSU). By comparing these two SAGE libraries we generated a list of 219 transcripts that were enriched or specific to inductive mesenchyme and which may act as mesenchymal regulators of organogenesis and tumourigenesis. Conclusions: The use of a precisely defined subset of cells, and a back-comparison approach, allowed us to identify rare mRNAs that might be overlooked using other approaches. Keywords: SAGE, gene profiling Two SAGE libraries were prepared and compared to each other. The VMP forms a subset of the VSU.