The zinc finger gene Xblimp1 controls anterior endomesodermal cell fate in Spemann's organizer.
The anterior endomesoderm of the early Xenopus gastrula is a part of Spemann's organizer and is important for head induction. Here we describe Xblimp1, which encodes a zinc finger transcriptional repressor expressed in the anterior endomesoderm. Xblimp1 represses trunk mesoderm and induces anterior endomesoderm in a cooperative manner with the pan-endodermal gene Mix.1. Furthermore, Xblimp1 can cooperate with the BMP inhibitor chordin to induce ectopic heads, while a dominant-negative Xblimp1 inhibits head formation. The head inducer cerberus is positively regulated by Xblimp1 and is able to rescue microcephalic embryos caused by dominant-negative Xblimp1. Our results indicate that Xblimp1 is required for anterior endomesodermal cell fate and head induction.
de Souza
F S
FS
Division of Molecular Embryology, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Gawantka
V
V
Gómez
A P
AP
Delius
H
H
Ang
S L
SL
Niehrs
C
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D008845:Microinjections; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C100368:Mix1 protein, Xenopus; C402290:PRDM1 protein, Xenopus; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C100866:cer1 protein, Xenopus; C054234:chordin