title: Xenopus hoxc8 during early development.
abstract: Vertebrate hoxc8 homologous genes have been shown to be involved in the formation of lower thoracic/lumbar vertebrae during early embryonic development. We report the isolation of a Xenopus hoxc8 (Xhoxc8), which shows 94% amino acid sequence identity to the mouse counterpart. Xhoxc8 is initially expressed in a broad region of blastopore lip at gastrular stage; however, at later stages, the region of expression is progressively restricted to the dorsal region caudal to the third somite and to the central trunk region of abdomen. Retinoic acid treatment that caused a severe malformation in antero-posterior axis did not induce any significant change in the spatio-temporal expression pattern of Xhoxc8 mRNA. Antisense RNA injection into 2- or 4-cell stage embryos resulted in a severe malformation in the abdominal structure leading to embryonic death. The results strongly indicate that Xhoxc8 expression is critical for the formation of abdominal structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Kentucky, 900 South Limestone, Lexington 40536, USA. cko2@uky.edu
authors.forename: Chemyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Hae Moon
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000196:embryology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C489817:Hoxc8 protein, Xenopus; C489816:Hoxc8 protein, mouse; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014212:Tretinoin