The Oct-1 POU domain directs developmentally regulated nuclear translocation in Xenopus embryos.
Early embryonic development in Xenopus is characterized by transcriptional repression which is relieved at the mid-blastula stage. Here we show that most of the maternally inherited POU domain transcription factor Oct-1 is retained in the cytoplasm during early development, and that it gradually translocates to the nucleus around the mid-blastula transition. Overexpressed epitope-tagged Oct-1 exhibits highly similar localization properties compared to endogenous protein. The amino acid sequence that directs this developmentally regulated nuclear translocation resides in the POU domain. Our findings may suggest that cytoplasmic retention of Oct-1 facilitates or contributes to the repression of Oct-1 target genes before the mid-blastula transition.
Veenstra
G J
GJ
Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology, Utrecht.
Mathu
M T
MT
Destrée
O H
OH
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; C494169:POU2F1 protein, Xenopus; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins