title: Role of X-Delta-2 in the early neural development of Xenopus laevis.
abstract: The Drosophila Delta gene and its vertebrate homologues are ligands for the Notch receptor and are involved in a variety of developmental processes, including neurogenesis, boundary formation, and axon guidance. This study deals with the ectodermal expression and function of X-Delta-2 during early Xenopus laevis development. X-Delta-2 is expressed, from early neurula stages on, throughout the central nervous system (CNS; forebrain, eyes, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord) and in the majority of the cranial placodes. Loss of function experiments using a morpholino knockdown approach revealed that X-Delta-2 is necessary for hindbrain segmentation and the correct specification of the anterior CNS. X-Delta-2 also seems to be important in the determination of the size of the eyes. Furthermore, our results suggest that X-Delta-2 is involved in the migration of the cranial placodes cells, as well the migration of the cranial neural crest cells.
authors.affiliation: Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: João N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.forename: Antony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Durston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C510658:dlc protein, Xenopus