title: The murine cripto gene: expression during mesoderm induction and early heart morphogenesis.
abstract: The murine cripto gene encodes a 171-aminoacid epidermal growth factor-related protein, with 93% similarity to its human counterpart in the 'EGF-like' domain. The murine cripto mRNA contains two B1 repeats in its 3' non-coding region and a 163-nucleotide homology to the human mRNA. The mouse cripto gene is expressed at low level in specific organs of the adult animal such as spleen, heart, lung and brain. In situ hybridization analysis during murine embryogenesis (day 6.2 to day 10.5) reveals a very restricted expression pattern. cripto transcripts are first detected in a few epiblastic cells at day 6.5. During gastrulation, the transcripts are expressed in the forming mesoderm and later during development cripto gene expression is restricted to the truncus arteriosus of the developing heart. This expression pattern suggests a role for cripto gene in the determination of the epiblastic cells that subsequently give rise to the mesoderm.
authors.affiliation: International Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dono
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scalera
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacifico
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acampora
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simeone
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C070636:TDGF1 protein, human; C489450:Tdgf1 protein, mouse; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor