title: Platelet derived growth factor B gene expression in the Xenopus laevis developing central nervous system.
abstract: Platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGF-B) belongs to the mitogen and growth factor family and like the other members it has many roles in cell differentiation, proliferation and migration during development, adult life and in pathological conditions. Among them it has been observed that aberrant PDGF signalling is frequently linked to glioma development and progression, and Pdgf-b over-expression in mouse neural progenitors leads to the formation of gliomas. Despite this evidence, the mechanisms underlying PDGF-B driven tumorigenesis and its role during brain development are not fully understood. In order to contribute to clarifying possible new roles of pdgf-b signalling, we present here the embryonic gene expression pattern of pdgf-b, so far unknown in early vertebrate development. By using Xenopus laevis as a model system we performed qRT-PCR and whole mount in situ hybridization. Pdgf-b mRNA is expressed in discrete regions of the developing central nervous system, in the cranial nerve placodes and in the notochord. We also compared the gene expression of pdgf-b with that of its receptor pdgfr-α suggesting so far unsuspected roles for this signalling pathway during the development of specific embryonic structures.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Kety
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Giannetti
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corsinovi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossino
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Appolloni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis