title: Regulation of melanoblast and retinal pigment epithelium development by Xenopus laevis Mitf.
abstract: Mitf is a central regulator of pigment cell development that is essential for the normal development of the melanocyte and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) lineages. To understand better the role of Mitf, we have used the Xenopus laevis experimental system to allow a rapid examination of the role of Mitf in vivo. Here, we report the function of XlMitfalpha-M on melanophore development and melanization compared with that of Slug that is expressed in neural crest cells. Overexpression of XlMitfalpha-M led to an increase in melanophores that was partly contributed by an increase in Slug-positive cells, indicating that XlMitfalpha-M is a key regulator of melanocyte/melanophore development and melanization. Moreover, overexpression of a dominant-negative form of XlMitfalpha led to a decrease in the number of melanophores and induced abnormal melanoblast migration. We also observed an induction of ectopic RPE and extended RPE by overexpression of XlMitfalpha-M and possible interactions between XlMitfalpha and several eye-related genes essential for normal eye development.
authors: Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors: Mayuko
authors: M
authors: Kumasaka
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Sato
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Yajima
authors: Colin R
authors: CR
authors: Goding
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors