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PINCH‐1 expression during early avian embryogenesis: Implications for neural crest and heart development
Author(s) -
Martinsen Brad J.,
Neumann Ann N.,
Frasier Allison J.,
Baker Clare V.H.,
Krull Catherine E.,
Lohr Jamie L.
Publication year - 2006
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.20616
Subject(s) - neural crest , biology , heart development , microbiology and biotechnology , mesoderm , cranial neural crest , neural fold , embryogenesis , neural plate , embryo , transcription factor , anatomy , genetics , gene , embryonic stem cell
The invasion of the cardiac neural crest (CNC) into the outflow tract (OFT) and subsequent OFT septation are critical events during vertebrate heart development. We previously had performed four modified differential display (DD) screens in the chick embryo to identify genes that may be involved in CNC and heart development. Full‐length sequence of one of the DD clones has been obtained and identified as chick PINCH‐1. This p articularly i nteresting n ew c ysteine‐ h istidine–rich protein contains five protein‐binding LIM domains (five double zinc fingers), a nuclear localization signal, and a nuclear export signal, allowing it to participate in integrin and growth factor signaling and possibly act as a transcription factor. We show here for the first time that chick PINCH‐1 is expressed in neural crest cells, both in the neural fold and cardiac OFT, and is also expressed in mesoderm derived‐structures, including the myocardium, during avian embryogenesis. The normal expression pattern and overexpression in neural crest cell explants suggest that PINCH‐1 may be a regulator of neural crest cell adhesion and migration. Developmental Dynamics 235:152–162, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.