Ml. Dirksen et al., DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF A DISTAL-LESS HOMEOBOX GENE XDLL-2 IN ECTODERMAL CELL LINEAGES, Mechanisms of development, 46(1), 1994, pp. 63-70
Neural induction in Xenopus requires the activation of new sets of gen
es that are necessary for cellular and regional specification of the n
eural tube. It has been reported earlier that members of the Distal-le
ss homeobox gene family are specifically activated in distinct regions
of the central nervous system (CNS) of Xenopus embryos (Dirksen et al
., 1993; Papalopulu and Kintner, 1993). In this paper we describe in d
etail a-Xenopus homeobox containing gene Xdll-2, which belongs to the
Distal-less gene Family. In contrast to other previously described Xen
opus family members, Xdll-2 Is expressed in the embryonic ectoderm and
is specifically repressed in the CNS. This repression can be mimicked
in isolated animal caps by treatment with activin. Expression of Xdll
-2 persists in the epidermis and some neural crest cells. Because of i
ts spatial and temporal expression pattern this gene is a good candida
te to have a regulatory function in the initial formation of the epide
rmis. Its high level of expression in adult skin indicates that its Fu
nction is continuously required in this tissue.