Xenopus cadherin-11 (Xcadherin-11) expression requires the Wg/Wnt signal.
In this study we describe the isolation of Xcadherin-11, the Xenopus homologue to the mesenchymal cadherin-11. Similar to epithelial and neural cadherins, overexpression of Xcadherin-11 led to posteriorised phenotypes due to inhibition of convergent extension movement. Because zygotic expression of Xcadherin-11 starts with gastrulation, we analysed the ability of different growth factors involved in mesoderm differentiation to induce the expression of Xcadherin-11. Using the animal cap assay, we demonstrated that Xcadherin-11 is activated by Xwnt-8 or beta-catenin, but repressed by BMP-4. Activin did not induce Xcadherin-11 but its synergistic function was required for the Xwnt-8/beta-catenin-mediated activation of Xcadherin-11. Because Xcadherin-11 and Xenopus E- and N-cadherin are differentially regulated by growth factors in the Xenopus animal cap, our results also reveal that this assay provides a helpful model system to elucidate the molecular control mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal conversion.
Hadeball
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Abteilung Biochemie, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, UIm, Germany.
Borchers
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Wedlich
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D028341:Activins; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin
D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; C495266:CTNNB1 protein, Xenopus; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C525812:bmp4 protein, Xenopus; C525813:bmp4 protein, zebrafish; C495248:wnt8a protein, Xenopus; D028341:Activins; C086960:osteoblast cadherin; D007265:Inhibins