Nassar F (2011), Regulation and expression of elrD1 and elrD2 tr...

XB-ART-42935

Int J Dev Biol 2011 Jan 01;551:127-32. doi: 10.1387/ijdb.093050fn.

Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

Regulation and expression of elrD1 and elrD2 transcripts during early Xenopus laevis development.

Nassar F .

???displayArticle.abstract???
The Xenopus laevis elrD (elav-like ribonucleoprotein D) gene is a member of the elav/Hu family which encodes RNA-binding proteins. Most of the elav/Hu genes are expressed in the nervous system, where they are implicated in the development and maintenance of neurons. The regulation of elrD gene expression involves two promoters, pD1 and pD2. In this study, we analyzed the neural specificity directed by both promoters. They were fused to the gene encoding green fluorescent protein, and their ability to drive neural expression in injected Xenopus embryos was examined. We show that both promoters direct neural expression and that whole promoter sequences are needed to induce neural specific expression. Finally, we analyzed the spatial and temporal localization of the two elrD transcripts, elrD1 and elrD2. We found that the two transcripts present the same tissue-specific pattern of expression, with distinct developmental regulation. Our results show a complex regulation of the elrD gene and suggest that different transcripts resulting from alternative splicing of the elrD gene probably define different neurons.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 21425088
???displayArticle.link??? Int J Dev Biol

Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: elavl4 pdgfb snca

???attribute.lit??? ???displayArticles.show???

	Fig. 2. Neural specificity of elrD1 and elrD2 promoters. Injected embryo with pD1-GFP (A,B) and pD2-GFP (C,D) constructs into one dorsal blastomere at four-cell stage. (A,C) Embryos under blue light. GFP expression was visualized in the neural fold at stage 18. No GFP expression was detected in the non-injected side that was used as a control (left part of the embryos). (B,D) Embryos under visible light. (E,F) Embryo expressing pD1-GFP (E) and pD2-GFP (F) constructs under visible and blue light. GFP expression is clearly visible in the neural fold.
	Fig. 3. Temporal and spatial expression of elrD transcripts. (A) One g of total RNA was reverse-transcribed and PCR performed by incorpo- rating digoxigenin-dUTP. PCR products were resolved by electrophore- sis in a 1% agarose gel and detected as described in Materials and Methods. Sequence analysis of the cloned products has shown that bands 1 and 2 correspond to elrD1 and elrD2 transcripts, respectively. Band 3 corresponds to an incomplete elongation of elrD1 and elrD2 transcripts. N: Neurula, T: Tailbud, B: Adult Brain. (B,C) In situ hybridiza- tion at tailbud stage with an antisense elrD1 (B) and elrD2 (C) probes. expression is seen in the brain vesicles (arrowheads), the cranial ganglia (arrows) and the spinal cord (block arrow).
	elavl4 ( ELAV like neuron-specific RNA binding protein 4) gene expression in Xenopus laevis embryos, NF stage 32, assayed by in situ hybridization, lateral view, head region, anterior left, dorsal up.