Differential expression of MAM-subfamily protein tyrosine phosphatases during mouse development

The MAM-subfamily of type II transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) currently comprises the enzymes PTPκ, PTPμ and PCP2. In an effort to elucidate the individual physiological roles of these closely related proteins we performed a detailed analysis of their mRNA transcript distributions at different stages of mouse embryogenesis and postnatal brain development. Our in situ hybridization studies revealed distinct and complementary expression patterns of PTPκ, PTPμ and PCP2 transcripts. Based on our results and previous reports we discuss MAM-PTPases as a new class of morphoregulatory molecules.