title: The Xenopus eomesodermin promoter and its concentration-dependent response to activin.
abstract: Eomesodermin is an essential early gene in Xenopus mesoderm formation and shows a morphogen-like response to activin. Here we define the regions of the Eomesodermin promoter required for mesodermal expression and for concentration-dependent response to activin. We find an activin response element (ARE) located between -5.6 and -5.0 kb which contains two critical FAST2 binding sites. The ARE alone is necessary and sufficient for concentration-dependent response to activin. A 5.6 kb promoter recapitulates Eomes expression in normal mesoderm cells. A repressor element extinguishes Eomes expression in the endoderm. We relate our results to mesoderm patterning in early Xenopus development and to a mechanism of morphogen gradient response.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome CRC Institute, Cambridge, UK. ryank@email.chop.edu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourillot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stennard
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gurdon
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C103223:EOMES protein, Xenopus; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C491117:Foxh1 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D005914:Globins