| |
Fig. 4. Expression of neural markers in embryos lacking REEP4 function. X. laevis or X. tropicalis embryos were injected, respectively, with 90ng MO or 30ng MO2. Control embryos received the same amounts of control MO. They were cultured to neurula (stage 15-18) or tailbud (stage 29/30) stages and analysed by in situ hybridisation for expression of N-tubulin, Sox3, Pax6 and Pax3. Expression of the neural markers N-tubulin, Sox3 and Pax6 is normal in embryos of X. laevis at neurula stages (A,B; E,F; I,J) and has declined little by tailbud stages (C,D; G,H; K,L). Early expression of the neural crest marker Pax3 is little affected by loss of REEP4 function (M,N), but expression in somites and pronephros becomes disrupted at tailbud stages (O,P). More prolonged culture to stage 38 (Q-T) reveals that Islet1 expression becomes disrupted in embryos lacking REEP4. Thus, in embryos of X. laevis, some embryos injected with a REEP4 MO appear normal (R') but in others, Islet1 expression is reduced. This phenotype is observed more frequently in embryos of X. tropicalis (T') |
