Developmental expression of the POU transcription factor qBrn-2 during somitic myogenesis in quail.
We prepared a specific antiserum to the qBrn-2 protein and examined the developmental distribution of this protein during quail somitic myogenesis. In contrast to its mammalian homolog N-Oct-3, qBrn-2 exhibited an impressive spatio-temporal profile in somitic myogenesis, in addition to the orthodox expression observed in the developing neural tube. In somites, qBrn-2 was expressed in the outer epithelial cells, but not in the core cells. During the somite differentiation, qBrn-2 expression was enhanced and restricted to myotome. The location of qBrn-2 expression seemed to overlap with that of myf5 and myoD in myotome. However, in cells that just began to express myf5 or myoD, qBrn-2 expression was not obvious. As embryonic development proceeded, qBrn-2 positive cells in myotome migrated dorsally and ventrally, and qBrn-2 expression was still observed at dorsal and ventral muscle masses in the forelimb. On the basis of our observations, it seems that qBrn-2 may play important roles in the determination, differentiation and migration of muscle precursor cells, in addition to its known roles in neurogenesis.
Liu
W
W
Lab of Visual Information Processing, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.
He
R
R
Xue
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D011784:Quail; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C085076:transcription factor Brn-2