title: The role of Xenopus frizzled-8 in pronephric development.
abstract: Vertebrates use two or three forms of kidney successively during development and the nephric duct is essential for this succession of kidney induction. While transcripts of many Wnt ligands and Wnt receptor Frizzled genes have been localized in developing kidney, the relationship between Wnt signaling and nephric duct development remains unknown. This study investigated the role of Xenopus frizzled-8 (Xfz8) in pronephros development. Translational inhibition of Xfz8 caused a significant reduction in the staining of a duct-specific antibody, but did not affect the expression of early pronephric maker genes in the duct region. Defects in pronephric tubule branching were also observed following inhibition of Xfz8. Histological analysis revealed that the Xfz8-inhibited cells failed to form a normal epithelium structure. These results suggest that Xfz8 is involved in the process of normal epithelium formation in the developing pronephric duct and tubules after specification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Satow
authors.forename: Te-chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asashima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009024:Morphogenesis; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C113865:FZD8 protein, Xenopus; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins