Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Pygopus is required for embryonic brain patterning in Xenopus.

Blue B Lake1, Kenneth R Kao

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, A1B 3V6 Newfoundland, Canada. f43bbl@mun.ca

Developmental Biology
|August 28, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Researchers identified two Xenopus Pygopus (Pyg) genes, Xpygo-2alpha and Xpygo-2beta, crucial for Wnt signaling. These genes play essential roles in early embryonic development and brain regionalization in Xenopus.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A MEF2C transcription factor network regulates proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells in diabetic kidney disease.

Kidney international·2026
Same author

A cross-species single-cell epigenome kidney atlas identifies epithelial cells as a driver of epigenetic aging.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Cellular and Spatial Drivers of Unresolved Injury and Functional Decline in the Human Kidney.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

A <i>MEF2C</i> transcription factor network regulates proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells in diabetic kidney disease.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Mapping human tissues with highly multiplexed RNA in situ hybridization.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

The chromatin landscape of healthy and injured cell types in the human kidney.

Nature communications·2024

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is a critical pathway regulating embryonic development.
  • Pygopus (Pyg) proteins are key components of the Wnt/beta-catenin transcriptional machinery.
  • Understanding Pygopus function in vertebrate development is essential for deciphering early embryonic patterning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize Xenopus Pygopus homologs (Xpygo-2alpha and Xpygo-2beta).
  • To investigate the expression patterns and functional roles of Xpygo-2alpha and Xpygo-2beta in Xenopus embryogenesis.
  • To elucidate the involvement of Xpygo-2alpha/beta in Wnt signaling-mediated brain regionalization.

Main Methods:

  • Identification and cloning of Xenopus Pygopus genes.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Whole-mount in situ hybridization to determine mRNA expression patterns.
  • Antisense morpholino oligonucleotide injection to inhibit gene function.
  • Analysis of developmental defects and gene expression markers.

    • Main Results:

    • Two Xenopus Pygopus genes, Xpygo-2alpha and Xpygo-2beta, were identified, sharing structural similarity with human Pygo-2.
    • Xpygo-2alpha is expressed in the anterior neural plate and nervous system, while Xpygo-2beta is found in oocytes, early embryos, and the retinal field.
    • Inhibition of Xpygo-2alpha/beta led to axis duplication, anterior neural defects, and reduced expression of key eye and brain developmental markers, effects that were rescued by Xpygo-2 mRNA co-injection.

    Conclusions:

    • Xpygo-2alpha and Xpygo-2beta are essential components of the Wnt signaling pathway in Xenopus.
    • Differential expression and function of Xpygo-2alpha/beta are critical for the regionalization of the developing brain.
    • These findings reveal a novel mechanism for Wnt signaling in establishing anterior-posterior patterning during vertebrate neurodevelopment.