Vg 1 is an essential signaling molecule in Xenopus development.
Xenopus Vg 1, a transforming growth factor beta (Tgfbeta) family member, was one of the first maternally localized mRNAs identified in vertebrates. Its restriction to the vegetal pole of the egg made it the ideal candidate to be the mesoderm-inducing signal released by vegetal cells, but its function in vivo has never been resolved. We show that Vg 1 is essential for Xenopus embryonic development, and is required for mesoderm induction and for the expression of several key Bmp antagonists. Although the original Vg 1 transcript does not rescue Vg 1-depleted embryos, we report that a second allele is effective. This work resolves the mystery of Vg 1 function, and shows it to be an essential maternal regulator of embryonic patterning.
Birsoy
Bilge
B
Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
Kofron
Matt
M
Schaible
Kyle
K
Wylie
Chris
C
Heasman
Janet
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
C513103:GDF1 protein, Xenopus; D006023:Glycoproteins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029867:Xenopus Proteins