Control of Cell Behavior During Vertebrate Development by Slug, a Zinc Finger Gene

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 264; no. 5160; pp. 835 - 839
• Main Authors: Nieto, M. Angela, Sargent, Michael G., Wilkinson, David G., Cooke, Jonathan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 06.05.1994; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antigens, CD - analysis; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte - analysis; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blastoderm - cytology; CD57 Antigens; Cell Movement; Central Nervous System - embryology; Chick Embryo; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryos; Emigration; Epithelial cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrula - cytology; Gene Expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; In Situ Hybridization; Mesoderm; Mesoderm - cytology; Molecular embryology; Molecular Sequence Data; Neural crest; Neural Crest - cytology; Neural Crest - immunology; Neurons; Oligonucleotides, Antisense - pharmacology; Physiological aspects; Slugs; Snail Family Transcription Factors; Snails; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; Vertebrates; Zinc; Zinc Fingers - genetics; Embryonic development; Cell motility; Vertebrata; Embryo; Regulation(control); Gastrulation; Gene; Zinc finger structure; Migration; Mesoderm; Chicken; Aves
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.7513443

Slug, a vertebrate gene encoding a zinc finger protein of the Snail family, is expressed in the neural crest and in mesodermal cells emigrating from the primitive streak. Early chick embryos were incubated with antisense oligonucleotides to chick Slug. These oligonucleotides specifically inhibit the normal change in cell behavior that occurs at the two sites in the emerging body plan in which the gene is expressed. This change, which is the transition from epithelial to mesenchymal character, occurs at the formation of mesoderm during gastrulation and on emigration of the neural crest from the neural tube.