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Comparative Study
. 2006 Jan;133(1):15-20.
doi: 10.1242/dev.02144. Epub 2005 Nov 24.

Vg 1 is an essential signaling molecule in Xenopus development

Bilge Birsoy  1 , Matt Kofron, Kyle Schaible, Chris Wylie, Janet Heasman
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Vg 1 is an essential signaling molecule in Xenopus development

Bilge Birsoy et al. Development. 2006 Jan.

Abstract

Xenopus Vg 1, a transforming growth factor beta (Tgfbeta) family member, was one of the first maternally localized mRNAs identified in vertebrates. Its restriction to the vegetal pole of the egg made it the ideal candidate to be the mesoderm-inducing signal released by vegetal cells, but its function in vivo has never been resolved. We show that Vg 1 is essential for Xenopus embryonic development, and is required for mesoderm induction and for the expression of several key Bmp antagonists. Although the original Vg 1 transcript does not rescue Vg 1-depleted embryos, we report that a second allele is effective. This work resolves the mystery of Vg 1 function, and shows it to be an essential maternal regulator of embryonic patterning.

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