Regulation of XSnail2 expression by Rho GTPases.
We analyzed the effects of Rho GTPases on XSnail2 expression during neural crest (NC) ontogeny in Xenopus laevis embryos. The ectopic expression of both dominant-negative (N-) and constitutively active (V-) Rho GTPase mutants after RNA or DNA microinjection disrupted the endogenous expression of XSnail2, XFoxD3, and XSnail1. V14RhoA and N17Rac1 were inhibitory, whereas N19RhoA and V12Rac1 increased NC marker gene expression. In reporter assays using a XSnail2 promoter-green fluorescent protein (GFP) construct (alpha700BA-GFP), the ectopic expression of V14RhoA, N17Rac1, or the Rac1 inhibitor NSC 23766 decreased reporter expression in NC-neural plate, whereas N19RhoA or the RhoA inhibitor Y27632 and V12Rac1 enhanced it. Similarly, transgenic embryos expressing Rho GTPase mutants and GFP under control of the alpha700BA promoter displayed variations similar to those observed for ectopic RNA and DNA expression. These results show that Rho GTPases can regulate the expression of XSnail2 during NC ontogeny.
Laboratoire de Morphogenèse Cellulaire et Progression Tumorale, UMR144 CNRS / Institut Curie, Paris, France. florence.broders@curie.fr
Florence
F
Broders-Bondon
Albert
A
Chesneau
Francisco
F
Romero-Oliva
André
A
Mazabraud
Roberto
R
Mayor
Jean Paul
JP
Thiery
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019076:Transgenes; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000378:metabolism; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins