title: Regulated gene expression of hyaluronan synthases during Xenopus laevis development.
abstract: Here reported is the developmental gene expression pattern of the three known vertebrate hyaluronan synthases (XHas1, XHas2 and XHas3) and a comparative analysis of their mRNAs spatio-temporal distribution during Xenopus laevis development. We found that while XHas2 shows a steady-state expression from gastrula to late tailbud stage, XHas1 is mainly present in the early phases of development while XHas3 is predominantly transcribed in tailbud embryos. XHas1, XHas2 and XHas3 show distinct tissue expression patterns. In particular, XHas1 is localized in ectodermal derivatives and in cranial neural crest cells, whereas XHas2 is mainly found in mesoderm-derived structures and in trunk neural crest cells. Moreover, the expression pattern of XHas2 overlaps that of MyoD in cells committed to a muscle fate. Unlike the other hyaluronan synthases, XHas3 mRNA distribution is very restricted. In particular, XHas3 is expressed in the otic vesicles and closely follows the inner ear development. In conclusion, XHas1, XHas2 and XHas3 mRNAs have distinct and never overlapping spatial expression domains, which would suggest that these three enzymes may play different roles during embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratori di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Biochimica, Università di Pisa, Via Carducci 13, Ghezzano, Pisa 56010, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ori
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vigetti
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gornati
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014166:Transferases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014166:Transferases; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; C056944:HAS1 protein, Xenopus; C491342:HAS3 protein, Xenopus; C491096:Has2 protein, Xenopus; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases