title: The Xdsg protein in presumptive primordial germ cells (pPGCs) is essential to their differentiation into PGCs in Xenopus.
abstract: In order to know the role of the Xdsg gene in presumptive PGCs (pPGCs) of Xenopus, we attempted to inhibit the translation of Xdsg mRNA in pPGCs by injecting antisense morpholino oligo (asMO), together with Fluorescein Dextran-Lysine (FDL), into single germ plasm-bearing cells of 32-cell embryos. Among three types of asMOs complementary to different parts of the 5'-untranslated region of Xdsg mRNA tested, only one asMO, designated as Xdsg-3, inhibited the translation of the mRNA in FDL-labeled pPGCs, resulting in the absence of labeled PGCs in experimental tadpoles. On the other hand, two other asMOs, Xdsg-1 and -2, did not inhibit the translation, so that a similar number of labeled PGCs found in FDL-injected but asMO-uninjected control tadpoles were observed in experimental tadpoles derived from asMO-injected embryos. Surprisingly, use of Xdsg-3 asMO resulted in the disappearance of the protein of Xenopus vasa homolog (Xenopus vasa-like gene 1, XVLG1) from FDL-labeled pPGCs by inhibiting the translation of XVLG1 mRNA. However, the effect of Xdsg-3 asMO on the translation of Xdsg and XVLG1 mRNAs and PGC formation could be canceled by the coinjection with Xdsg mRNA. Consequently, the Xdsg protein in pPGCs may play an important role in the formation of PGCs by regulating the production of XVLG1 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan. Ikenishi@sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikenishi
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishiumi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komiya
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000737:chemistry; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C487947:CALCOCO1 protein, Xenopus; C094297:CALCOCO2 protein, human; C086637:DDX4 protein, Xenopus; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D029867:Xenopus Proteins