title: Induction of axial mesoderm by zDVR-1, the zebrafish orthologue of Xenopus Vg1.
abstract: The zebrafish DVR-1 (zDVR-1) gene, like Xenopus Vg1, is present maternally as an unprocessed precursor protein which is distributed ubiquitously along the future dorsoventral axis. Also, like Vg1, overexpression of zDVR-1 in zebrafish directs synthesis of more precursor, but no processed protein. However, the native zDVR-1 precursor is processed to mature protein when expressed in Xenopus. Like processed Vg1, mature zDVR-1 is a potent inducer of axial mesoderm. The parallels in expression pattern, apparent regulation of protein processing, and mesoderm-inducing activity support the hypothesis that localized protein processing controls production of a dorsal mesoderm inducer in these two species. Furthermore, using mutant mRNAs, we show that cleavage site sequences of the precursor protein are important in regulating protein processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dohrmann
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Melton
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004627:Embryonic Induction; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051956:Goosecoid Protein; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013045:Species Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C513103:GDF1 protein, Xenopus; C079678:Gdf3 protein, zebrafish; D006023:Glycoproteins; D051956:Goosecoid Protein; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C497995:gsc protein, zebrafish