Premium
Nodal‐related gene Xnr5 is amplified in the Xenopus genome
Author(s) -
Takahashi Shuji,
Onuma Yasuko,
Yokota Chika,
Westmoreland Joby J.,
Asashima Makoto,
Wright Christopher V.E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.20217
Subject(s) - xenopus , biology , endoderm , nodal , transcription (linguistics) , gene , transcription factor , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , genome , mesoderm , embryonic stem cell , linguistics , philosophy
In Xenopus , six nodal‐related genes ( Xnrs ) have been identified to date. We found numerous tandem duplications of Xnr5 in the Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis genomes that involve highly conserved copies of coding and regulatory regions. The duplicated versions of Xnr5 were expressed in both the superficial and deep layer of dorsal endoderm and in the deep layer of ventral endoderm, where the initial inducers of mesendoderm formation would be expected to be localized. Overexpression of secreted inhibitors of Xnrs led to a substantially enhanced transcription of the duplicated Xnr5 genes and Xnr6 in embryos. Therefore, Xnr5 and Xnr6 have a novel feedback loop to inhibit transcription of Xnr5 and Xnr6 . These results suggest that the initialization of a strong Xnr5 and Xnr6 signal is enabled by the rapid transcription from multiple genes. The novel feedback loop may negatively regulate transcription of Xnr5 s and Xnr6 to limit overproduction of these potent inducers, with the Xnr5/Xnr6 signal then activating positive (Xnrs) and negative (Xlefty) loops, which regulate the range of mesodermal tissues produced. genesis 44:309–321, 2006.