Identification and cloning of localized maternal RNAs from xenopus eggs

A central question in developmental biology is to explain how cells in different regions of an embryo acquire different developmental fates. We have begun to address this question by investigating whether specific RNAs are localized within a frog egg. Differential screening of a cDNA library shows t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCell Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 769 - 777
Main Authors Rebagliati, M.R., Weeks, D.L., Harvey, R.P., Melton, D.A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, MA Elsevier Inc 01.10.1985
Cell Press
Subjects
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis
Cell physiology
Cloning, Molecular
DNA - analysis
DNA Restriction Enzymes
Embryo, Nonmammalian - physiology
Female
Fertilization
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mitochondria - metabolism
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular Weight
Nucleic Acid Hybridization
Oocytes - cytology
Oocytes - metabolism
RNA - genetics
RNA - isolation & purification
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Mitochondrial
RNA, Ribosomal - genetics
Xenopus
Embryonic development
Egg
RNA
Xenopus laevis
Amphibia
Salientia
Identification
Blastomere
Vertebrata
Complementary DNA
Mother
Molecular cloning
Localization
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Summary:A central question in developmental biology is to explain how cells in different regions of an embryo acquire different developmental fates. We have begun to address this question by investigating whether specific RNAs are localized within a frog egg. Differential screening of a cDNA library shows that most maternal RNAs are uniformly distributed along the animal-vegetal axis. However, we find that a rare class of maternal RNAs is localized. cDNA clones of four localized RNAs have been characterized. Three of these cDNAs are derived from maternal RNAs that are concentrated in the animal hemisphere of unfertilized eggs and remain localized through the early blastula stage. One cDNA is derived from a maternal RNA found almost exclusively in the vegetal hemisphere at both stages. These studies show that some informational molecules, specifically RNAs, are localized in eggs and are inherited by particular blastomeres.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0092-8674
1097-4172
DOI:10.1016/0092-8674(85)90273-9