title: Regulation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor in early Xenopus embryos.
abstract: Recent evidence suggests that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a primary mesoderm inducer in Xenopus development. We have isolated a full-length cDNA clone for the Xenopus FGF receptor. Like other FGF receptors, the Xenopus homolog is a membrane-spanning protein with a split intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. The Xenopus FGF receptor mRNA is present as a maternal message whose levels are constant through early development. There is no specific regional localization of the transcript by analysis of FGF receptor mRNA levels in microdissected embryonic tissue. In isolated animal-pole blastomeres, FGF receptor mRNA declines over 16 hr in culture and this loss can be prevented by incubation with FGF or activin. Despite the presence of the FGF receptor mRNA in the oocyte, oocytes in culture do not respond to added FGF. However, injection of exogenous Xenopus FGF receptor transcripts into oocytes does generate a functional response to FGF. Our data suggest that posttranscriptional response to FGF. Our data suggest that posttranscriptional mechanisms regulate the FGF receptor in the oocyte and early embryo and further suggest that mesoderm-inducing factors influence receptor mRNA levels during the time of early tissue formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Musci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amaya
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kirschner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004247:DNA; D002118:Calcium