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Cloning and developmental expression of Xenopus Enabled (Xena)

Jennifer B Xanthos¹, Sarah J Wanner, Jeffrey R Miller

¹Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.

Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists

|March 22, 2005

Summary

The study characterized Xenopus Ena (Xena), revealing its expression throughout development, particularly in tissues involved in morphogenesis. Xena localizes to cell adhesion sites, suggesting a role in regulating actin dynamics for tissue development.

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Actin dynamics are crucial for tissue morphogenesis, involving proteins like the Ena/VASP family.
The Ena/VASP family (Enabled, Vasodilator Stimulated Phosphoprotein, Ena/VASP-Like) regulates actin cytoskeleton dynamics in various cellular processes.
Understanding Ena/VASP protein roles in vertebrate development is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

To clone and characterize the developmental expression of Ena in Xenopus laevis (Xena).
To investigate the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Xena during embryogenesis.
To determine the subcellular localization of Xena.

Main Methods:

Cloning of Xenopus Ena (Xena).
Analysis of temporal expression patterns during embryogenesis.
In situ hybridization for spatial expression analysis.
Subcellular localization studies using GFP-tagged Xena fusion protein.

Main Results:

Multiple Xena isoforms are detected throughout Xenopus embryogenesis, with developmentally regulated expression.
Xena shows broad expression during gastrulation and neurulation in neuroepithelium, notochord, and somites.
In tadpoles, Xena is expressed in dorsal brain regions, spinal cord, notochord, myotome, heart, pronephros, and cranial placodes.
Xena localizes to adherens junctions and focal adhesions.

Conclusions:

Xena exhibits dynamic and spatially regulated expression during Xenopus development.
Xena's localization to cell adhesion sites suggests a role in modulating actin-dependent processes.
These findings define critical spatiotemporal windows for Xena's function in cell adhesion and migration during early development.

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