REGULATION OF ANTEROPOSTERIOR PATTERNING IN EARLY FROG DEVELOPMENT

POU结构域基因家族已被证明在组织中很重要 发育过程中的特定基因调控。有人提议， POU III类转录因子以组合方式作用于 在大脑中建立各种神经元表型。我们正在调查 这两个POU III类因子XLPOU1和XLPOU2在 早期神经发育。非洲爪哇的原位杂交分析 Enbryos已经证明，在神经板中，XLPOU 1基因表达 被限制为对应于未来的两个对称补丁 中脑和后脑。在尾芽期胚胎中，额外的XLPOU1基因 在前脑和眼睛中可以观察到这种表达。XLPOU-2基因的表达 在腹侧的前脑、中脑和后脑中观察到。这个 这些POU结构域基因的限制性表达模式 是独一无二的，因为这些基因在大脑更前部的区域表达 与大多数已在 脊椎动物的发育。XLPOU(RA)处理胚胎。前部 这两个基因的边界在RA治疗后的大脑中发生了移位 胚胎。此外，在中等剂量的RA&lt；XLPOU1基因表达 大大增强了中脑和眼睛的功能。XLPOU 1和XLPOU 2应 事实证明，这是研究大脑前部 已经确立了。

The POU domain gene family has been shown to be important in tissue specific gene regulation during development. It has been proposed that POU class III transcription factors act in a combinatorial fashion to establish various neuronal phenotypes in the brain. We are investigating the role of two of these POU class III factors, XLPOU 1 and XLPOU2, in early neural development. In situ hybridization analysis of Xenopus enbryos has demonstrated that in the neural plate, XLPOU 1 gene expression is restricted to two symmetrical patches corresponding to the future midbrain and hindbrain. In tailbud stage embryos, additional XLPOU 1 gene expression is observed in the forebrain and eyes. XLPOU 2 gene expression is observed in the ventral forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The restricted pattern of gene expression observed with these POU domain genes is unique because these genes are expressed in brain regions more anterior to most of the various homeobox genes that have been identified in vertebrate development. XLPOU (RA) treatment of embryos. The anterior boundary of both of these genes is shifted in the brains of the RA-treated embryos. Furthermore, with moderate doses of RA< XLPOU 1 gene expression is greatly enhanced in the midbrain and eye. XLPOU 1 and XLPOU 2 should prove to be useful markers in studying how the anterior part of the brain is established.