title: The RNA-binding protein Xp54nrb isolated from a Ca²+-dependent screen is expressed in neural structures during Xenopus laevis development.
abstract: In amphibian embryos, calcium (Ca(2+)) signalling is a necessary and sufficient event to induce neural fate. Transient elevations of [Ca(2+)]i are recorded in neural tissue precursor cells in whole embryos during gastrulation. Using a subtractive cDNA library between control ectoderm (animal caps) and ectoderm induced toward a neural fate by Ca(2+) release, we have isolated several Ca(2+)-induced target genes. Among the isolated genes, Xp54nrb encodes a protein which exhibits the RRM domains characteristic of RNA binding proteins, and is implicated in pre-mRNA splicing steps. Here we show that the Xp54nrb transcripts are expressed throughout early developmental stages, specifically in the neural and sensorial territories and that Xp54nrb could be involved in anterior neural patterning.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Biologie du Développement, CNRS, UMR5547 and GDR2688, Université P. Sabatier, Toulouse, France. isabelle.neant@univ-tlse3.fr
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neant
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Deisig
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scerbo
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreau
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D054262:Gastrulation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015723:Gene Library; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C486437:Xp54 RNA helicase, Xenopus; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D002118:Calcium