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The MyoD binding site is dispensable for cardiac actin gene expression in the somites of later stage Xenopus embryos
Author(s) -
Su Xi-Lin,
Woodland Hugh R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80435-w
Subject(s) - xenopus , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology , myod , actin , biology , gene , stage (stratigraphy) , gene expression , mesoderm , genetics , embryonic stem cell , paleontology
We have studied the transcription directed by the promoter of a Xenopus borealis cardiac actin gene fused to a globin reporter sequence after injection into X.laevis embryos. This promoter is known to be effective specifically in somites of neurula stage embryos, and work on a very similar X. laevis gene has indicated the importance of an upstream MyoD binding site (E box) in this process. We show that, although in the absence of the MyoD site there is a small amount of tissue‐specific expression in neurulae, transcription is abundant in the tailbud embryo a few hours later. Thus, although the E box is initially essential, other sequences must adopt the same role soon afterwards.