The role of maternal VegT in establishing the primary germ layers in Xenopus embryos

Jian Zhang; D W Houston; Mary Lou King; C Payne; C Wylie; J Heasman

doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81592-5

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The role of maternal VegT in establishing the primary germ layers in Xenopus embryos

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

The role of maternal VegT in establishing the primary germ layers in Xenopus embryos

Jian Zhang, D W Houston, Mary Lou King, C Payne, C Wylie and J Heasman

Cell (Cambridge), Vol.94(4), pp.515-524

08/21/1998

DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81592-5

PMID: 9727494

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Abstract

VegT is a T-box transcription factor whose mRNA is synthesized during oogenesis and localized in the vegetal hemisphere of the egg and early embryo. We show that maternally expressed VegT controls the pattern of primary germ layer specification in Xenopus embryos. Reduction of the maternal store completely alters the fates of different regions of the blastula so that animal cell fate is changed from epidermis and nervous system to epidermis only, equatorial cell fate is changed from mesoderm to ectoderm, and vegetal cell fate is changed from endoderm to mesoderm and ectoderm. Vegetal cells lose their capacity both to form endoderm and to release mesoderm-inducing signals. These results show that a single maternally expressed gene controls the patterning of the Xenopus blastula.

Phenotype

Antigens, Differentiation

Embryonic Induction

Xenopus Proteins

Ectoderm - physiology

Xenopus - embryology

DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism

Transcription Factors - metabolism

RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis

Animals

Models, Biological

Body Patterning

Epidermis - embryology

Mesoderm - physiology

Female

Nervous System - embryology

Zygote - physiology

T-Box Domain Proteins

Germ Layers - physiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: The role of maternal VegT in establishing the primary germ layers in Xenopus embryos
Creators: Jian Zhang - University of Miami
D W Houston
Mary Lou King - University of Miami
C Payne
C Wylie
J Heasman
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Cell (Cambridge), Vol.94(4), pp.515-524
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81592-5
PMID: 9727494
ISSN: 0092-8674
eISSN: 1097-4172
Grant note: 1 HD33002 / NICHD NIH HHS GM33932 / NIGMS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 08/21/1998
Academic Unit: Biology
Record Identifier: 9983992091702771

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