F. Gianguzza et al., ALPHA-TUBULIN MARKER GENE OF NEURAL TERRITORY OF SEA-URCHIN EMBRYOS DETECTED BY WHOLE-MOUNT IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION, The International journal of developmental biology, 39(3), 1995, pp. 477-483
We have used Northern blot and whole-mount in situ hybridizations to a
nalyze the temporal and spatial expression pattern of the Pl alpha alp
ha-tubulin gene in Paracentrotus lividos sea urchin embryos. The Pl al
pha 2 transcript is first detectable at 14 h post-fertilization (blast
ula stage) and it is only expressed in the oral ectoderm. The amount o
f transcripts of this gene increases throughout development and accumu
lates up to the pluteus stage. In this stage the Pl alpha 2 transcript
is localized in the neural structures of the embryo. We conclude that
the Pl alpha 2 gene is an early neurogenic territory marker. Furtherm
ore we have observed the same localization of the Pl alpha 2 transcrip
t in the Zn++. or phenytoin-treated embryos, confirming the animal loc
alization of the Pl alpha 2 transcript and its specific relation to ne
urogenic territory, whose differentiation starts from few founder cell
s present at blastula stage.