EXPRESSION PATTERN OF THE WINGED HELIX FACTOR XFD-11 DURING XENOPUS EMBRYOGENESIS

We have identified a cDNA encoding a novel Xenopus winged helix transc ription factor termed as XFD-11 ((X) under bar enopus (f) under bar or k head (d) under bar omain). The DNA binding domain is most closely re lated to those of human or murine FREAC-3 (FKHL7/MF-1/FKH-1) proteins. The XFD-11 gene is activated at late blastula/early gastrula and tran scription proceeds throughout embryogenesis. Early expression is found in ventral and lateral but not in dorsal mesoderm. At neurula stages, transcripts are found in posterior mesoderm except for the dorsal mid line, and the gene is also transcribed at the lateral border of the ne ural plate and within anterior neuroectoderm. At later stages of devel opment, transcripts are detected within the pronephros, the heart, wit hin neural crest cells surrounding the eye, in the mandibular, hyoid a nd branchial arches, and within the tail. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd. All rights reserved.