Xenopus embryonic E2F is required for the formation of ventral and posterior cell fates during early embryogenesis.
Using an expression cloning approach, we have unveiled a novel function for the transcription factor E2F. We demonstrate that Xenopus E2F (xE2F) is required for patterning of the Xenopus embryonic axis. Overexpression of xE2F in embryos induces ectopic expression of ventral and posterior markers, including selected members of the Hox genes, and suppresses the development of dorsoanterior structures. Loss of xE2F function in embryos leads to the elimination of ventral and posterior structures. These observations suggest that xE2F acts as an important regulator of region-specific gene expression and in the formation of the embryonic axis. This study provides evidence for an additional embryonic function for E2F, independent of its well-documented role in cell cycle regulation, and suggests a novel mechanism of region-specific gene expression during vertebrate embryogenesis.
Suzuki
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The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399, USA.
Hemmati-Brivanlou
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002450:Cell Communication; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005775:Gastrula; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D008648:Mesoderm; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D056465:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 1; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D006133:Growth Substances; D056465:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 1; D014157:Transcription Factors