title: Wnt6 expression in epidermis and epithelial tissues during Xenopus organogenesis.
abstract: Here, we report the localization within embryonic tissues of xWnt6 protein; together with the temporal and spatial expression of Xenopus laevis Wnt6 mRNA. Wnt6 expression in Xenopus embryos is low until later stages of neurulation, when it is predominantly found in the surface ectoderm. Wnt6 expression increases during early organogenesis in the epidermis overlaying several developing organs, including the eye, heart, and pronephros. At later stages of development, Wnt6 mRNA and protein generally localize in epithelial tissues and specifically within the epithelial tissues of these developing organs. Wnt6 localization correlates closely with sites of both epithelial to mesenchymal transformations and mesenchymal to epithelial transformations. Xenopus Wnt6 sequence and its expression pattern are highly conserved with other vertebrates. Xenopus embryos, therefore, provide an excellent model system for investigating the function of vertebrate Wnt6 in organ development and regulation of tissue architecture.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology Research Program, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Danielle L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lavery
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: Yvonne D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.forename: Grant N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoppler
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D038081:Organogenesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051153:Wnt Proteins; C529379:Wnt6 protein, Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins