title: Identification of novel members of the Xenopus Ca2+ -dependent lectin family and analysis of their gene expression during tail regeneration and development.
abstract: We previously demonstrated that the gene for a member of the humoral C-type lectin family is transiently expressed in the regenerating legs of the American cockroach [Arai et al., Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 28, 987-994 (1998)]. To identify candidate lectin(s) involved in tail regeneration in the Xenopus laevis tadpole, we isolated a 35-kDa Ca(2+)-dependent lectin (XCL-1) from adult Xenopus serum and cloned its cDNA. Although XCL-1 gene expression was not induced in the regenerating tails, we isolated a cDNA for an XCL-1-related protein (XCL-2) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In contrast to the XCL-1 gene, XCL-2 gene expression was significantly increased in the regenerating tails, suggesting its role in tail regeneration. Although both XCL-1 and XCL-2 belong to a recently identified Xenopus lectin family (X-lectins), XCL-1 and XCL-2 exhibit distinct developmental gene expression from two other known X-lectin members, both of which are expressed principally in the embryonic stage, whereas the XCL-1 and XCL-2 genes are predominantly expressed in the adult and middle/late tadpole stages, respectively, suggesting multiple functions of X-lectin family members. Thus, the presence of multifunctional Ca(2+)-dependent lectin family and the induction of the member gene in regenerating organs are conserved among insects and vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishino
authors.forename: Takekazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunieda
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natori
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekimizu
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015870:Gene Expression; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012038:Regeneration; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013623:Tail / Q000502:physiology*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; C524472:XCL-1 protein, Xenopus; C524473:XCL-2 protein, Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins