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cnrip1 is a regulator of eye and neural development in X enopus laevis
Author(s) -
Zheng Xiaona,
Suzuki Toshiyasu,
Takahashi Chika,
Nishida Eisuke,
Kusakabe Morioh
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1111/gtc.12225
Subject(s) - xenopus , biology , regulator , neural development , eye development , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , transcription factor , gene
Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1 ( CNRIP 1), which has been originally identified as the binding partner of cannabinoid receptor 1 ( CNR 1), is evolutionarily conserved throughout vertebrates, but its physiological function has been unknown. Here, we identify a developmental role of CNRIP 1 using Xenopus laevis embryos. During early embryogenesis, expression of Xenopus laevis cnrip1 is highly restricted to the animal region of gastrulae where neural and eye induction occur, and afterward it is seen in neural and other tissues with a temporally and spatially regulated pattern. Morpholino‐mediated knockdown experiments indicate that cnrip1 has an essential role in early eye and neural development by regulating the onset of expression of key transcription factor genes, sox2 , otx2 , pax6 and rax . Also, over‐expression experiments suggest that cnrip1 has a potential to expand sox2 , otx2 , pax6 and rax expression. These results suggest an instructive role of Xenopus laevis cnrip1 in early eye and neural development. Furthermore, Xenopus laevis cnr1 knockdown leads to eye defects, which are partly similar to, but milder than, those caused by cnrip1 knockdown, suggesting a possible functional similarity between CNRIP 1 and CNR 1. This study is the first characterization of an in vivo role of CNRIP 1 in the context of whole organisms.