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Amphibian intestinal villin: isolation and expression during embryonic and larval development
1Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire du Développement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nancy I, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
Journal of Cell Science
|November 1, 1992
Summary
Researchers identified a protein in amphibian intestines related to villin, an actin-binding protein. This villin homologue appears in developing frog intestines, marking the presumptive endoderm.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Villin is a conserved actin-binding protein crucial for epithelial cell structure and function.
- Its expression is typically restricted to specific epithelial tissues in vertebrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize an actin-binding protein in anuran amphibian intestinal mucosa.
- To investigate the developmental expression of this protein in Xenopus laevis embryos and larvae.
Main Methods:
- Protein isolation and characterization.
- Immunological cross-reactivity studies using antibodies against known villins.
- NH2-terminal sequencing.
- Morphological, immunocytochemical, and immunoblotting techniques for developmental analysis.
Main Results:
- An M(r) 105,000 protein isolated from amphibian intestine showed immunological and structural homology to vertebrate villins.
- This amphibian villin homologue was not detected in early Xenopus embryos but appeared in the apical domain of endodermal cells before hatching.
- Villin expression accumulated in differentiating intestinal cells of newly hatched Xenopus larvae.
Conclusions:
- The amphibian M(r) 105,000 protein is a villin homologue, conserved across vertebrate classes.
- Xenopus intestinal villin expression is developmentally regulated, appearing during late embryonic stages.
- Amphibian intestinal villin serves as a valuable marker for identifying the presumptive intestinal endoderm during development.