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An alternatively spliced gene encoding a Y‐box protein showing maternal expression and tissue‐specific zygotic expression in the ascidian embryo
Author(s) -
Wada Michiko R.,
Ohtani Yoshiaki,
Shibata Yumiko,
Tanaka Kimio J.,
Tanimoto Naomi,
Nishikata Takahito
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-169x.1998.t01-4-00007.x
Subject(s) - biology , ribonucleoprotein , microbiology and biotechnology , rna splicing , heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein , messenger rna , messenger rnp , gene , rna binding protein , rna , oogenesis , alternative splicing , xenopus , gene expression , genetics , embryo , oocyte
An ascidian Y‐box protein gene was cloned, designated as CiYB , which consists of a highly conserved cold shock domain and an auxiliary tail domain with alternating modules of acidic and basic amino acids. CiYB is a single copy gene in the ascidian genome. During oogenesis and early development, CiYB produces three different transcripts ( CiYB1 , CiYB2 and CiYB3 ) by alternate splicing. CiYB1 and CiYB2 were expressed during oogenesis, suggesting that they are recruited into maternal ribonucleoprotein particles. According to gel mobility shift assay, the CiYB1 protein has the ability to bind RNA. The sequence preference of RNA binding is similar to that of the Xenopus Y‐box protein (FRGY2), which is a major component of the maternal messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNP) in the oocyte. These results suggest that the ascidian Y‐box protein may have an important role for masking and translational regulation of maternal mRNA. Furthermore, CiYB1 , CiYB2 and CiYB3 were expressed zygotically in a tissue restricted manner. CiYB1 was expressed specifically in muscle precursor blastomeres and tail muscle cells suggesting its important role in muscle differentiation.