title: Xmc mediates Xctr1-independent morphogenesis in Xenopus laevis.
abstract: In the frog, Xenopus laevis, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is required for both mesoderm formation and the morphogenetic movements that drive the elongation of the notochord, a dorsal mesodermal derivative; the coordination of these distinct roles is mediated by the Xenopus Ctr1 (Xctr1) protein: maternal Xctr1 is required for mesodermal differentiation, while the subsequent loss of Xctr1 promotes morphogenesis. The signaling cascade activated by FGF in the presence of Ctr1 has been well characterized; however, the Xctr1-independent, FGF-responsive network remains poorly defined. We have identified Xenopus Marginal Coil (Xmc) as a gene whose expression is highly enriched following Xctr1 knockdown. Zygotic initiation of Xmc expression in vivo coincides with a decrease in maternal Xctr1 transcripts; moreover, Xmc loss-of-function inhibits Xctr1 knockdown-mediated elongation of FGF-treated animal cap explants, implicating Xmc as a key effector of Xctr1-independent gastrular morphogenesis.
authors: Biology Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367, USA.
authors: Tomomi
authors: T
authors: Haremaki
authors: Daniel C
authors: DC
authors: Weinstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000079923:Copper Transporter 1; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D000079923:Copper Transporter 1; C522333:Ctr1 protein, Xenopus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C466101:Xmc protein, Xenopus