title: The MyoD binding site is dispensable for cardiac actin gene expression in the somites of later stage Xenopus embryos.
abstract: We have studied the transcription directed by the promoter of a Xenopus borealis cardiac actin gene fused to a globin reporter sequence after injection into X. laevis embryos. This promoter is known to be effective specifically in somites of neurula stage embryos, and work on a very similar X. laevis gene has indicated the importance of an upstream MyoD binding site (E box) in this process. We show that, although in the absence of the MyoD site there is a small amount of tissue-specific expression in neurulae, transcription is abundant in the tailbud embryo a few hours later. Thus, although the E box is initially essential, other sequences must adopt the same role soon afterwards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Woodland
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology*; D017570:MyoD Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D017570:MyoD Protein; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005914:Globins; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI