Identification and expression of a regeneration-specific homeobox gene in the newt limb blastema

Author:

Brown R.1,Brockes J.P.1

Affiliation:

1. Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Middlesex Hospital/University College Branch, London, UK.

Abstract

Adult urodele amphibians are able to regenerate their limbs through the formation of a blastema, a growth zone of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells that arises locally at the plane of amputation. In an effort to define genes involved in pattern formation by the blastema, we isolated from a newt forelimb blastema library cDNA clones that identify a homeobox gene termed NvHbox 2. The amino acid sequence of the homeodomain is identical to that of the recently identified human HOX-4f gene (Acampora et al. 1989) and of the mouse Hox-5.5 (Dolle et al. 1989). NvHbox 2 is expressed in the limb blastema as a transcript of 3.4 kb that is not detectable in the normal limb. Analysis by RNAase protection demonstrates expression in limb and tail blastemas, but not in any of the adult tissues or organs tested. In the limb blastema NvHbox 2 was expressed in mesenchymal but not epithelial tissue. When matched and normalised samples of RNA from proximal (mid-humerus) and distal forelimb (mid-radius) blastemas were compared, the level of expression of NvHbox 2 was found to be 3- to 5-fold higher proximally. At two time points after injection of a proximalising dose of retinoic acid, the level of expression in a distal blastema was not increased in comparison to controls.

Publisher

The Company of Biologists

Subject

Developmental Biology,Molecular Biology

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3