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Proprotein convertase genes in Xenopus development
Author(s) -
Nelsen Sylvia,
Berg Linnea,
Wong Crispin,
Christian Jan L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.20378
Subject(s) - biology , xenopus , proprotein convertase , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , genetics , endocrinology , cholesterol , lipoprotein , ldl receptor
Proprotein convertases (PCs) are a family of serine endoproteases that proteolytically activate many precursor proteins within various secretory pathway compartments. Loss‐of‐function studies have demonstrated a critical role for these proteases in embryonic patterning and adult homeostasis, yet little is known about how substrate selectivity is achieved. We have identified Xenopus orthologs of three PCs: furin, PC6, and PC4. In addition to previously described isoforms of PC6 and furin, four novel splice isoforms of PC6, which are predicted to encode constitutively secreted proteases, and a putative transmembrane isoform of PC4 were identified. Furin and PC6 are expressed in dynamic, tissue‐specific patterns throughout embryogenesis, whereas PC4 transcripts are restricted primarily to germ cells and brain in adult frogs. Developmental Dynamics 233:1038–1044, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.