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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment
Published on: September 27, 2015
The efficiency of Xenopus primordial germ cell migration depends on the germplasm mRNA encoding the PDZ domain
Pavel Kirilenko1, Frida K Weierud, Aaron M Zorn
1Department of Biological Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
Abstract:
A microarray analysis of vegetal pole sequences in the egg and early Xenopus laevis embryo identified Unigene Xl.14891 as a vegetally localized RNA. Analysis of the Xenopus tropicalis genome showed this Unigene to be localized near the 3' end of the Grip2 (glutamate receptor interacting protein 2) transcription unit. RACE showed that the Unigene represented the 3' UTR of Grip2 mRNA. Grip2 mRNA is present in the mitochondrial cloud of late pre-vitellogenic oocytes and then in the germplasm through oogenesis and early development until tailbud tadpole stages. Interference with Grip2 mRNA translation using two antisense morpholino oligos (MOs) impairs primordial germ cell (PGC) migration to the germinal ridges. Both MOs also inhibit swimming movements of the tailbud tadpole, known to involve glutamate receptors. We conclude that Grip2 has several functions in the embryo, including enabling efficient PGC migration.
