title: A rapid increase in acetylcholinesterase mRNA during ascidian embryogenesis as demonstrated by microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes.
abstract: Poly(A+)RNA was prepared from Ciona intestinalis embryos isolated from six different developmental stages. Using Xenopus laevis oocytes as a translation assay, we find that functional acetylcholinesterase (AChE) mRNA is not present in Ciona embryos until shortly before the neural plate stage. These studies show that ascidian AChE mRNA is translated in Xenopus oocytes which should prove useful as an aid for cloning this gene. The interest in this enzyme stems from the possible correlation between cytoplasmic determinants, hypothesized to exist in the muscle lineage cells of these embryos, and the exclusive localization of AChE to larval tail muscle.
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008845:Microinjections; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D011061:Poly A / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014561:Urochordata / Q000196:embryology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011061:Poly A; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase