IDENTIFICATION OF A CHICK HOMOLOG OF FRINGE AND C-FRINGE-1 - INVOLVEMENT IN THE NEUROGENESIS AND THE SOMITOGENESIS

In Drosophila, Serrate plays an important role to the wing margin form ation. A putative secretory protein, Fringe, is indispensable for the wing margin formation inducing Serrate and other genes. Recently, Xeno pus homologues of Fringe were identified and one of them, lunatic Frin ge (X-1Fng), was demonstrated to be involved in mesoderm induction. We have identified two chick Fringe homologous genes by reverse transcri ption-polymerase chain reaction and cDNA library screening. One of the m, C-Fringe 1, showed sequence similarity to X-1Fng. In situ hybridiza tion study of C-Fringe 1 has demonstrated its expression in the develo ping nervous system and in the presomitic mesoderm. The hindbrain and spinal cord showed the distinct stripe pattern expression which was co mplementary to that of C-Serrate, indicating the correlation between t hem in vertebrate. (C) 1997 Academic Press.