Title | Differential regulation of neurogenesis by the two Xenopus GATA-1 genes. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 1997 |
Authors | Xu RH, Kim J, Taira M, Lin JJ, Zhang CH, Sredni D, Evans T, Kung HF |
Journal | Mol Cell Biol |
Volume | 17 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 436-43 |
Date Published | 1997 Jan |
ISSN | 0270-7306 |
Keywords | Animals, Carrier Proteins, DNA-Binding Proteins, Ectoderm, Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors, Fetal Proteins, Follistatin, GATA2 Transcription Factor, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Globins, Glycoproteins, Homeodomain Proteins, LIM-Homeodomain Proteins, Mesoderm, Nervous System, Proteins, RNA, Messenger, T-Box Domain Proteins, Transcription Factors, Xenopus laevis, Xenopus Proteins, Zinc Fingers |
Abstract | Previously, we have shown that the ventralizing factor bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) can inhibit Xenopus neurogenesis. The erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 functions downstream of the BMP-4 signaling pathway and mediates BMP-4-induced erythropoiesis. We have found that similar to BMP-4, GATA-1b inhibits neuralization of Xenopus animal cap (AC) cells. The neural inhibition is not seen with GATA-1a, although both GATA-1a and GATA-1b RNAs are translated at the same efficiency and induce globin expression equally in AC cells. GATA-1b RNA injection into AC cells neither induces expression of Xbra (a general mesoderm marker) nor affects expression of XK81 (epidermal keratin) or BMP-4 and Xvent-1 (two ventral markers). These data suggest that GATA-1b retains the epidermal fate of the AC. Intact GATA-1b protein is required for both inhibition of neurogenesis and induction of globin expression. Our findings indicate that GATA-1b can function in ectoderm to specifically regulate neural inducing mechanisms, apparently related to the expression of chordin, a neuralizing gene. Furthermore, tadpole stage embryos injected with GATA-1b are devoid of all dorsoanterior structures including neural tissue. This report provides evidence that the two transcription factors, derived from a recent genome duplication, share a common biological activity (stimulation of erythropoiesis) while also exhibiting a distinct function (inhibition of neurogenesis). |
DOI | 10.1128/MCB.17.1.436 |
Alternate Journal | Mol Cell Biol |
PubMed ID | 8972224 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC231768 |