Expression profiles of the Gα subunits during Xenopus tropicalis embryonic development.
Heterotrimeric G protein signaling plays major roles during different cellular events. However, there is a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying G protein control during embryogenesis. G proteins are highly conserved and can be grouped into four subfamilies according to sequence homology and function. To further studies on G protein function during embryogenesis, the present analysis identified four Gα subunits representative of the different subfamilies and determined their spatiotemporal expression patterns during Xenopus tropicalis embryogenesis. Each of the Gα subunit transcripts was maternally and zygotically expressed, and, as development progressed, dynamic expression patterns were observed. In the early developmental stages, the Gα subunits were expressed in the animal hemisphere and dorsal marginal zone. While expression was observed at the somite boundaries, in vascular structures, in the eye, and in the otic vesicle during the later stages, expression was mainly found in neural tissues, such as the neural tube and, especially, in the cephalic vesicles, neural crest region, and neural crest-derived structures. Together, these results support the pleiotropism and complexity of G protein subfamily functions in different cellular events. The present study constitutes the most comprehensive description to date of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Gα subunits during vertebrate development.
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Jaime
J
Fuentealba
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Gabriela
G
Toro-Tapia
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Marion
M
Rodriguez
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Cecilia
C
Arriagada
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Alejandro
A
Maureira
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Andrea
A
Beyer
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Soraya
S
Villaseca
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Juan I
JI
Leal
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Maria V
MV
Hinrichs
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Juan
J
Olate
Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
Teresa
T
Caprile
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile. Electronic address: matorrejon@udec.cl.
Marcela
M
Torrejón
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019170:Somites / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins
Embryogenesis; G protein; Gα13; Gαi; Gαq; Gαs; Neural crest; Xenopus