title: Stage-specific inhibition of Xenopus embryogenesis by aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor.
abstract: We examined the effects of various protease inhibitors on Xenopus laevis embryogenesis. Aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor, was found to inhibit embryogenesis markedly, but other protease inhibitors had virtually no effect. The inhibitory effect of aprotinin was specific for embryos at the blastula or gastrula stage. These results suggest that an aprotinin-sensitive protease involved in embryonic development is secreted from the embryos or appears on the surface of embryonic cells at these stages. We found that various serine proteases are in fact secreted from the embryos with their development and that some of them are sensitive to aprotinin.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natori
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D007611:Aprotinin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D005775:Gastrula / Q000187:drug effects; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007611:Aprotinin; D010450:Endopeptidases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases