Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1987 Oct;6(10):3065–3070. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02613.x

Xfin: an embryonic gene encoding a multifingered protein in Xenopus.

A Ruiz i Altaba 1, H Perry-O'Keefe 1, D A Melton 1
PMCID: PMC553744  PMID: 2826129

Abstract

The Xenopus laevis genome was screened for putative DNA-binding gene products by using the 'finger' region of the Drosophila gene Krüppel as a probe. The one gene detected, named Xfin, codes for a protein with 37 finger domains that comprise nearly 90% of the protein. In the light of studies by Rhodes and Klug (Cell, 46, 123-132, 1986), these data suggest that the Xfin protein has the capacity to bind an unusually large stretch (185 bases) of DNA. The Xfin gene is expressed as a maternal and zygotic mRNA that undergoes extensive polyadenylation changes during early development. The Xfin mRNA expression pattern and the potential DNA binding activity of the protein point to the possibility that the Xfin gene may have a role in controlling gene activity during early embryonic development.

Full text

PDF
3065

Images in this article

3065Fig. 2.
on p.3065
3069Fig. 5.
on p.3069

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beier D. R., Sledziewski A., Young E. T. Deletion analysis identifies a region, upstream of the ADH2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is required for ADR1-mediated derepression. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Jul;5(7):1743–1749. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.7.1743. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benoist C., O'Hare K., Breathnach R., Chambon P. The ovalbumin gene-sequence of putative control regions. Nucleic Acids Res. 1980 Jan 11;8(1):127–142. doi: 10.1093/nar/8.1.127. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berg J. M. Potential metal-binding domains in nucleic acid binding proteins. Science. 1986 Apr 25;232(4749):485–487. doi: 10.1126/science.2421409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown R. S., Argos P. Fingers and helices. Nature. 1986 Nov 20;324(6094):215–215. doi: 10.1038/324215a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brown R. S., Sander C., Argos P. The primary structure of transcription factor TFIIIA has 12 consecutive repeats. FEBS Lett. 1985 Jul 8;186(2):271–274. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80723-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carrasco A. E., McGinnis W., Gehring W. J., De Robertis E. M. Cloning of an X. laevis gene expressed during early embryogenesis coding for a peptide region homologous to Drosophila homeotic genes. Cell. 1984 Jun;37(2):409–414. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90371-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Diakun G. P., Fairall L., Klug A. EXAFS study of the zinc-binding sites in the protein transcription factor IIIA. Nature. 1986 Dec 18;324(6098):698–699. doi: 10.1038/324698a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dumont J. N. Oogenesis in Xenopus laevis (Daudin). I. Stages of oocyte development in laboratory maintained animals. J Morphol. 1972 Feb;136(2):153–179. doi: 10.1002/jmor.1051360203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Feinberg A. P., Vogelstein B. A technique for radiolabeling DNA restriction endonuclease fragments to high specific activity. Anal Biochem. 1983 Jul 1;132(1):6–13. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(83)90418-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ginsberg A. M., King B. O., Roeder R. G. Xenopus 5S gene transcription factor, TFIIIA: characterization of a cDNA clone and measurement of RNA levels throughout development. Cell. 1984 Dec;39(3 Pt 2):479–489. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90455-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Godeau F., Persson H., Gray H. E., Pardee A. B. C-myc expression is dissociated from DNA synthesis and cell division in Xenopus oocyte and early embryonic development. EMBO J. 1986 Dec 20;5(13):3571–3577. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04684.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Green S., Chambon P. Oestradiol induction of a glucocorticoid-responsive gene by a chimaeric receptor. Nature. 1987 Jan 1;325(6099):75–78. doi: 10.1038/325075a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gurdon J. B. Methods for nuclear transplantation in amphibia. Methods Cell Biol. 1977;16:125–139. doi: 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)60096-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Harrison S. C. Gene regulation. Fingers and DNA half-turns. Nature. 1986 Aug 14;322(6080):597–598. doi: 10.1038/322597a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hartshorne T. A., Blumberg H., Young E. T. Sequence homology of the yeast regulatory protein ADR1 with Xenopus transcription factor TFIIIA. Nature. 1986 Mar 20;320(6059):283–287. doi: 10.1038/320283a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Harvey R. P., Tabin C. J., Melton D. A. Embryonic expression and nuclear localization of Xenopus homeobox (Xhox) gene products. EMBO J. 1986 Jun;5(6):1237–1244. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04352.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. King M. W., Roberts J. M., Eisenman R. N. Expression of the c-myc proto-oncogene during development of Xenopus laevis. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Dec;6(12):4499–4508. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.12.4499. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kozak M. Bifunctional messenger RNAs in eukaryotes. Cell. 1986 Nov 21;47(4):481–483. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90609-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kozak M. Comparison of initiation of protein synthesis in procaryotes, eucaryotes, and organelles. Microbiol Rev. 1983 Mar;47(1):1–45. doi: 10.1128/mr.47.1.1-45.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Krieg P. A., Melton D. A. Developmental regulation of a gastrula-specific gene injected into fertilized Xenopus eggs. EMBO J. 1985 Dec 16;4(13A):3463–3471. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb04105.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lassar A. B., Martin P. L., Roeder R. G. Transcription of class III genes: formation of preinitiation complexes. Science. 1983 Nov 18;222(4625):740–748. doi: 10.1126/science.6356356. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Melton D. A., Krieg P. A., Rebagliati M. R., Maniatis T., Zinn K., Green M. R. Efficient in vitro synthesis of biologically active RNA and RNA hybridization probes from plasmids containing a bacteriophage SP6 promoter. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Sep 25;12(18):7035–7056. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.18.7035. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Messing J., Vieira J. A new pair of M13 vectors for selecting either DNA strand of double-digest restriction fragments. Gene. 1982 Oct;19(3):269–276. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(82)90016-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Miller J., McLachlan A. D., Klug A. Repetitive zinc-binding domains in the protein transcription factor IIIA from Xenopus oocytes. EMBO J. 1985 Jun;4(6):1609–1614. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03825.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Müller M. M., Carrasco A. E., DeRobertis E. M. A homeo-box-containing gene expressed during oogenesis in Xenopus. Cell. 1984 Nov;39(1):157–162. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90201-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Newport J., Kirschner M. A major developmental transition in early Xenopus embryos: I. characterization and timing of cellular changes at the midblastula stage. Cell. 1982 Oct;30(3):675–686. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90272-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rebagliati M. R., Weeks D. L., Harvey R. P., Melton D. A. Identification and cloning of localized maternal RNAs from Xenopus eggs. Cell. 1985 Oct;42(3):769–777. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90273-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rhodes D., Klug A. An underlying repeat in some transcriptional control sequences corresponding to half a double helical turn of DNA. Cell. 1986 Jul 4;46(1):123–132. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90866-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rosenthal E. T., Tansey T. R., Ruderman J. V. Sequence-specific adenylations and deadenylations accompany changes in the translation of maternal messenger RNA after fertilization of Spisula oocytes. J Mol Biol. 1983 May 25;166(3):309–327. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(83)80087-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sap J., Muñoz A., Damm K., Goldberg Y., Ghysdael J., Leutz A., Beug H., Vennström B. The c-erb-A protein is a high-affinity receptor for thyroid hormone. Nature. 1986 Dec 18;324(6098):635–640. doi: 10.1038/324635a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Sargent T. D., Dawid I. B. Differential gene expression in the gastrula of Xenopus laevis. Science. 1983 Oct 14;222(4620):135–139. doi: 10.1126/science.6688681. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Schuh R., Aicher W., Gaul U., Côté S., Preiss A., Maier D., Seifert E., Nauber U., Schröder C., Kemler R. A conserved family of nuclear proteins containing structural elements of the finger protein encoded by Krüppel, a Drosophila segmentation gene. Cell. 1986 Dec 26;47(6):1025–1032. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90817-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Smith D. R., Jackson I. J., Brown D. D. Domains of the positive transcription factor specific for the Xenopus 5S RNA gene. Cell. 1984 Jun;37(2):645–652. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90396-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Steele R. E. Two divergent cellular src genes are expressed in Xenopus laevis. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Mar 11;13(5):1747–1761. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.5.1747. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Strubin M., Long E. O., Mach B. Two forms of the Ia antigen-associated invariant chain result from alternative initiations at two in-phase AUGs. Cell. 1986 Nov 21;47(4):619–625. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90626-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Taylor M. V., Gusse M., Evan G. I., Dathan N., Mechali M. Xenopus myc proto-oncogene during development: expression as a stable maternal mRNA uncoupled from cell division. EMBO J. 1986 Dec 20;5(13):3563–3570. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04683.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Tso J. Y., Van Den Berg D. J., Korn L. J. Structure of the gene for Xenopus transcription factor TFIIIA. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Mar 11;14(5):2187–2200. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.5.2187. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Vincent A., Colot H. V., Rosbash M. Sequence and structure of the serendipity locus of Drosophila melanogaster. A densely transcribed region including a blastoderm-specific gene. J Mol Biol. 1985 Nov 5;186(1):149–166. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90265-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Weinberger C., Thompson C. C., Ong E. S., Lebo R., Gruol D. J., Evans R. M. The c-erb-A gene encodes a thyroid hormone receptor. Nature. 1986 Dec 18;324(6098):641–646. doi: 10.1038/324641a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Yamamoto K. R. Steroid receptor regulated transcription of specific genes and gene networks. Annu Rev Genet. 1985;19:209–252. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.19.120185.001233. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES