A homeo-box-containing gene expressed during oogenesis in Xenopus

We report the isolation of a second Xenopus gene containing a homeo domain homologous to those of Drosophila. Out of 60 amino acids, 59 are conserved with Antennapedia, and 54 with a previously isolated frog gene. The predicted carboxy-terminus of this homeotic-like protein is 21 amino acids downstream from the conserved domain, ending with six glutamic acids in a row. The main interest of this gene lies in the fact that it is abundantly transcribed in large Xenopus oocytes, where it might be translated into proteins potentially involved in the early determination of embryonic cell types.