The Xenopus bagpipe-related homeobox gene zampogna is expressed in the pharyngeal endoderm and the visceral musculature of the midgut

In Drosophila, the bagpipe homeobox gene is expressed in a subset of dorsal mesodermal cells and in the absence of bagpipe gene function, development of the visceral musculature is disrupted, In Xenopus, one bagpipe-related g ene, Xbagpipe (Xbap) has previously been described. Here we report the isol ation of a second Xenopus homologue named zampogna (zax). zax is transcribe d within the muscular layer of the forming midgut as well as in the embryon ic head, where tax transcripts mark both the pharyngeal endoderm and the fu ture infra-rostral cartilage.