Xwnt-2b is a novel axis-inducing Xenopus Wnt, which is expressed in embryonic brain.
Xwnt-2b is a novel member of the Wnt gene family and is 73-74% similar to human and mouse Wnt-2 proteins. Starting from stage 15, Xwnt-2b transcripts are localized to a non-contiguous stripe in the anterior neural plate of the Xenopus embryo. In the tailbud, Xwnt-2b is expressed along the dorsoanterior side of the prosencephalon-mesencephalon boundary. At the tadpole stages, the brain-specific expression fades, but the total amount of Xwnt-2b mRNA does not decline due to activation of its expression in non-brain areas. Microinjection of Xwnt-2b mRNA into a ventral blastomere of 4-8-cell embryos results in the formation of complete secondary body axes. These results suggest that Xwnt-2b is a member of the axis-inducing Wnts and that it is involved in brain development and in later organogenesis.
Landesman
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Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA. ylandesm@warren.med.harvard.edu
Sokol
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SY
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D051154:Wnt2 Protein; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D015027:Zebrafish; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein
D006023:Glycoproteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051154:Wnt2 Protein; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein; C108002:WNT2B protein, Xenopus