Xenopus Zic3, a primary regulator both in neural and neural crest development

Xenopus Zic3, a primary regulator both in neural and neural crest development

^*Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Tsukuba Life Science Center, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan; ^†Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108, Japan; and ^¶Calciosignal Net Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan

Edited by N. M. Le Douarin, college de France, Nogent-sur-Marne, France, and approved August 22, 1997 (received for review March 31, 1997)

Abstract

Xenopus Zic3 is a Xenopus homologue of mouse Zic and Drosophila pair-rule gene, odd-paired. We show here that Zic3 has significant roles both in neural and neural crest development in Xenopus embryo. Expression of Zic3 is first detected in prospective neural plate region at gastrulation. Onset of the expression was earlier than most proneural genes and followed chordin expression. The expression was induced by blockade of BMP4 signal. Overexpression of Zic3 resulted in hyperplastic neural and neural crest derived tissue. In animal cap explant, the overexpression of Zic3 induced expression of all the proneural genes and neural crest marker genes. These findings suggest that Zic3 can determine the ectodermal cell fate and promote the earliest step of neural and neural crest development.

Footnotes

↵ ‡ K.N. and T.N. contributed equally to this study.
↵ § To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Tsukuba Life Science Center, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan. e-mail: jaruga{at}rtc.riken.go.jp.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the Proceedings Office.
Abbreviations: RT-PCR, reverse transcription–PCR; NCAM, neural cell adhesion molecule, Xtwi, Xenopus twist; Xslu, Xenopus slug.
Data deposition: The sequence reported in this paper has been deposited in the GenBank database (accession no. AB005292).