Embryonic expression and extracellular secretion of Xenopus slit.
The slit genes have recently been found to encode proteins with a conserved chemorepulsive activity for axons in invertebrates and vertebrates. We have determined the expression pattern of a slit gene in Xenopus embryos. In the neural tube, slit is expressed at the ventral and dorsal midlines, and the motor neurons. slit is also expressed in a changing pattern in the retina. The full-length Xenopus Slit protein is secreted extracellularly, whereas its receptor Roundabout can not be secreted. Using a myc-tagged secreted Slit protein, we confirmed the binding of Slit to Roundabout expressed on the cell surface. These results confirm Slit-Roundabout interactions and the biochemical properties of Slit and Roundabout proteins, and further support the idea that Slit may guide axon projections in multiple regions of the embryo.
Chen
J H
JH
Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Shanghai Research Center for Life Sciences and The National Institute of Neuroscience, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-yang Road, Shanghai, China.
Wu
W
W
Li
H S
HS
Fagaly
T
T
Zhou
L
L
Wu
J Y
JY
Rao
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000502:physiology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology*; D000097905:Roundabout Proteins
D006023:Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000097905:Roundabout Proteins; C120566:slit protein, vertebrate