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PMID: 9427753 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Xiro3 encodes a Xenopus homolog of the Drosophila Iroquois genes and functions in neural specification.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 17 ·No. 1 ·1998-01-02 ·Pages 191-203

Bellefroid EJ, Kobbe A, Gruss P, Pieler T, Gurdon JB, Papalopulu N

Abstract

We have identified in Xenopus and in the mouse two highly related genes, Xiro3 and Irx3 respectively, that encode a Drosophila Iroquois-related homeobox transcription factor. Xiro3 in Xenopus and Irx3 in the mouse are expressed early in the prospective neural plate in a subset of neural precursor cells. In Xenopus, injection of Xiro3 mRNA expands the neural tube and induces ectopic neural tissue in the epidermis, based on the ectopic expression of early neural markers such as Xsox3. In contrast, the differentiation of the early forming primary neurons, as revealed by the expression of the neuronal marker N-tubulin, is prevented by Xiro3 expression. Activation of Xiro3 expression itself requires the combination of a neural inducing (noggin) and a posteriorizing signal (basic fibroblast growth factor). These results suggest that Xiro3 activation constitutes one of the earliest steps in the development of the neural plate and that it functions in the specification of a neural precursor state.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Carrier Proteins Drosophila/genetics Drosophila Proteins Ectoderm/metabolism Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/physiology Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/physiology Homeodomain Proteins/genetics Mice Molecular Sequence Data Nervous System/embryology Proteins/physiology RNA, Messenger/genetics Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Transcription Factors/genetics Xenopus/embryology,genetics
Chemicals
ARA protein, Drosophila Carrier Proteins Drosophila Proteins Homeodomain Proteins IRX3 protein, Xenopus Irx3 protein, mouse Proteins RNA, Messenger Transcription Factors caup protein, Drosophila Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 noggin protein
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Bellefroid E J
Wellcome/CRC Institute, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.
Kobbe A
Gruss P
Pieler T
Gurdon J B
Papalopulu N
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
DOI
10.1093/emboj/17.1.191
Published
1998-01-02
Pages
191-203
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC1170370
Subset
IM
Grants
Wellcome Trust · United Kingdom
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/emboj/17.1.191 PMC Full Text View journal details
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