The competence of marginal zone cells to become Spemann's organizer is controlled by Xcad2.
The organizer in vertebrate embryos is responsible for the formation of the primary body axis. In amphibian embryos, the organizer forms in the dorsal marginal zone (prospective dorsal mesoderm) at a location determined by the point of sperm entry. Using inducible versions of axis-inducing proteins, it has been shown that, irrespective of the mode of secondary axis induction, organizer formation in the ventral marginal zone is temporally restricted from the midblastula transition to the onset of gastrulation. Here, we show that the competence of marginal zone cells to respond to organizer-inducing signals is under temporal control, one of the regulators being the homeobox transcription factor Xcad2. Overexpression of Xcad2 restricts the temporal competence for axis induction, whereas partial loss of function expands this competence, supporting our suggestion. We propose that Xcad2 competes with putative axis-inducing signals within the marginal zone to prevent expression of organizer-specific genes. Elimination of endogenous Xcad2 allows for the activation of organizer genes beyond the normal competence window during early/mid-gastrulation. We conclude that Xcad2, through its early expression in the ventrolateral marginal zone, terminates the competence of this embryonic region to respond to organizer-inducing signals by preventing the activation of organizer-specific genes.
Department of Cellular Biochemistry and Human Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
Vered
V
Levy
Karen
K
Marom
Sharon
S
Zins
Natalia
N
Koutsia
Ronit
R
Yelin
Abraham
A
Fainsod
D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D020897:Organizers, Embryonic; D010641:Phenotype; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014981:Xenopus
D030161:Avian Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003513:Cycloheximide