title: Role of 14-3-3 proteins in early Xenopus development.
abstract: 14-3-3 proteins are intracellular dimeric phosphoserine/threonine-binding molecules that participate in signal transduction and checkpoint control pathways. 14-3-3 proteins are required for normal eye development, brain function, and terminal patterning in Drosophila melanogaster, but the role of 14-3-3 proteins in vertebrate development is undefined. In this work an unphosphorylated peptide inhibitor of 14-3-3, R18, was used to determine the role of 14-3-3 proteins in Xenopus embryonic development. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that R18 was specific and efficient at attenuating global 14-3-3 activities in Xenopus embryos. Microinjection experiments showed a requirement for 14-3-3 function in mesodermal specification. Inhibition of 14-3-3 resulted in embryos with axial patterning defects and reduced expression of mesodermal marker genes. These phenotypic defects were caused by impaired fibroblast growth factor signaling in R18-injected embryos. These results establish the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in vertebrate embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Chunlai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Muslin
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase