XENOPUS ZIC FAMILY AND ITS ROLE IN NEURAL AND NEURAL CREST DEVELOPMENT

We characterized two new members of the Zic family, Xenopus Zic1 and Z ic2. They are very similar to mouse Zic1 and Zic2 in the protein codin g region including the zinc finger domain. In early gastrula, Zic1 exp ression was restricted to the prospective neural plate region whereas Zic2 was expressed widely in the ectoderm. We observed enhanced neural and neural crest-derived tissue formation in the Zic1 or Zic2 overexp ressed embryos and neural and neural crest marker induction in the Zic 1 or Zic2 overexpressed animal cap explants. Our findings suggest that Zic1 and Zic2 have essentially the same properties as Zi3 and that th e Xenopus Zic family may act cooperatively in the initial phase of neu ral and neural crest development. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Lt d. All rights reserved.