Objective To explore the spatial-temporal regularity in expression of thyroid transcription factor-2(TTF-2) and to understand its role during development of C57BL/6J mouse palate. Methods The palatal shelves from the C57BL/6J mouse embryos were microdissected in aseptic condition on days 12, 13, and 14 of gestation. Each day, six pregnant mice were sacrificed. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods were used to detect semi-quantitative and qualitative expression of TTF-2 in palatal shelves. Results In the process of the C57BL/6J mouse palatal shelves growth(embryonic 12 day, E12), elevation(E13) and touch(E14), TTF-2 was expressed in palatal medial edge epithelium(MEE), but no TTF-2 was found in palatal mesenchymal cells by immunohistochemistry location. TTF-2 was not expressed in the MEE of shelf fusing(E15). A significant difference was found, and the highest expression was obtained at E13(P
