Whole mount in situ hybridization shows that Smurf2 transcripts are uniformly localized to the ectodermal and mesodermal regions in blastula (panels a and b, stage 9 embryos with animal and vegetal views, respectively) and early gastrula (c, stage 10 vegetal view with the arrow pointing to the blastopore lip) embryos. At mid- to late gastrula stages, its expression is enhanced in the dorsal region (panels d and e, stage 11 and 12 embryos, posterior view with dorsal side on top; and panel f, stage 12 embryo lateral view; D: dorsal; V, ventral). During neurulation, Smurf2 is seen in the neural plate and the migration neural crest cells (panels g and h, dorsal and anterior views respectively; NC, neural crest). At the tailbud to tadpole stages, Smurf2 transcripts are detected in the neural tissues, the olfactory and otic vesicles, eyes, migrating neural crest, notochord, and tail (panels i to l, lateral view with the head on the left side; Br: brain; Nt: notochord; Ol, Olfactory placode; Ot: otic vesicle).