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Fig. 4. Accumulation and localization of HNF4 mRNA during Xenopus development. (A) Total RNA from the indicated embryonic stages were used
in an RNase protection assay. In lane 1 I tRNA from E. coli was used as a control. The protected fragment specific for HNF4 is indicated. Stage 2, 5
and 8 represents 2-cell, 16-cell and 132-cell embryos, respectively. Stage 10 is an early gastrula embryo and stage 13, 18 and 21 are neurula stages
whereas stage 29 is a tailbud embryo. Stages 36 and 42 represent swimming larvae. The autoradiogram was overexposed to visualize the small
amounts of HNF4 mRNA in early embryonic stages. The lower part shows an RNase protection experiment using a probe for the omithine decarboxy-
lase mRNA (ODC). Since the amount of this RNA is stable during Xenopus development, this experiment was used as a control for the RNA. (B) A
larvae from stage 38 which was stained by whole-mount in situ hybridization using a Xenopus HNF4 antisense RNA probe is shown at the top. Cells
containing HNF4 RNA present in the pronephros (arrowhead) liver and gut (arrow) am stained blue. A control larvae hybridized with a sense probe is
shown at the bottom |
