A novel sox gene, 226D7, acts downstream of Nodal signaling to specify endoderm precursors in zebrafish.
Vertebrate endoderm development has recently become the focus of intense investigation. We have identified a novel sox gene, 226D7, which is important in zebrafish endoderm development. 226D7 was isolated by an in situ hybridization screening for genes expressed in the yolk syncytial layer (YSL) at the blastula stage. 226D7 is expressed mainly in the YSL at this stage and, during gastrulation, its expression is also detected in the forerunner cells and endodermal precursor cells. The expression of 226D7 is positively regulated by Nodal signaling. The knockdown of 226D7 using morpholino antisense oligonucleotides results in a lack of sox17-expressing endodermal precursor cells during gastrulation, and, consequently, lacks endodermal derivatives such as gut tissue. The effect is strictly restricted to the endodermal lineage, while the mesoderm is normally formed, a phenotype that is nearly identical to that of the casanova mutant (Dev. Biol. 215 (1999) 343). We further demonstrate that overexpression of 226D7 increases the number of sox17-expressing endodermal progenitor cells without upregulating the expression of the Nodal genes, cyclops and squint. Region-specific knockdown and overexpression of 226D7 by injection into the YSL suggest that 226D7 in the YSL is not involved in endoderm formation and 226D7 in the endoderm progenitor cells is important for endoderm development. Taken together, our data demonstrate that 226D7 is a downstream target of Nodal signal and a critical transcriptional regulator of early endoderm formation.
Sakaguchi
T
T
Division of Early Embryogenesis, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Shizuoka, Japan.
Kuroiwa
A
A
Takeda
H
H
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D004707:Endoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005775:Gastrula / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055457:Nodal Protein; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010641:Phenotype; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055747:SOX Transcription Factors; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D055457:Nodal Protein; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011506:Proteins; D055747:SOX Transcription Factors; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C491603:sox17 protein, zebrafish; C438614:sox32 protein, zebrafish