Expression Pattern of Zinc-Finger Transcription factor Sp8 during Xenopus laevis Development

초록

Specificity protein (Sp) family, Btd-like transcription factor, is involved in a variety of developmental processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Sp8, one of the Sp family members has been reported to be important for limb outgrowth and anterior/posterior neuropore closure during early embryogenesis. Recently, we isolated a cDNA encoding Sp8 from Xenopus laevis, and studied the temporal and spatial expression of Sp8 during Xenopus embryogenesis. XSp8 is expressed zygotically in early developing embryos. During gastrula stage, it was expressed around blastopore. Following developmental processes, the expression of XSp8 was restricted to the neural crest, hatching gland, lens placode, ear vesicle, forebrain, isthmus, and branchial arch. Additionally, XSp8 expression was noted in the AER of developing limb. Our results suggest that XSp8 may play important roles in the determination of cell fate during Xenopus development.

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