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Role of the LIM class homeodomain protein Xlim-1 in neural and muscle induction by the Spemann organizer in Xenopus

Nature volume 372, pages 677–679 (1994)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 02 February 1995

Abstract

LIKE all known LIM class homeobox genes, Xlim-1 encodes a protein with two tandemly repeated cysteine-rich LIM domains upstream of the homeodomain1. In Xenopus laevis, Xlim-1 is specifically expressed in the Spemann organizer, whose major functions include neural induction and dorsalization of ventral mesoderm2–4. From RNA injection experiments we conclude here that: (1) the LIM domains behave as negative regulatory domains; (2) LIM domain mutants of Xlim-1 elicited neural differentiation in animal explants; (3) mutant, and to a lesser extent wild-type, Xlim-1 enhanced muscle formation after connection with Xbra; (4) both of these activities are mediated by extracellular signals as seen in combined explant experiments; (5) Xlim-1 mutants activated goosecoid (gsc) expression in animal explants, but not expression of noggin or follistatin; (6) mutant Xlim-1 elicited formation of partial secondary axes, and cooperated with gsc in notochord formation. Thus Xlim-1 has latent activities, implicating it in organizer functions.

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Author notes

  1. Hlroki Otani

    Present address: Department of Anatomy, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, 693, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

    Masanorl Taira, Hlroki Otani, Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet & Igor B. Dawid

  2. Centre de Biologie du Développement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Unité Mixte de Recherche 9925, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, France

    Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet

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  4. Igor B. Dawid
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Taira, M., Otani, H., Saint-Jeannet, JP. et al. Role of the LIM class homeodomain protein Xlim-1 in neural and muscle induction by the Spemann organizer in Xenopus. Nature 372, 677–679 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/372677a0

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