Depression in the level of cadherin and alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenins in transgenic Xenopus laevis highly expressing c-Src

Aberrant morphogenesis of transgenic Xenopus laevis 5-day embryos carrying Rous sarcoma virus LTR in their DNA and expressing a high level of c-Src pr otein kinase was found to be accompanied with a profound depression in the level of cadherins and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-(plakoglobin) catenins in t heir tissues, as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis. Simultaneously, an increased level of phosphotyrosine staining was detected. However, an an alogous increase in the level of phosphotyrosine immunostaining and a sligh tly higher level of Src were also detected in tissues of originally defecti ve but later spontaneously repaired frog embryos that displayed essentially normal patterns of staining for cadherins and catenins, Our results provid e evidence that the defective morphogenesis of frog embryos expressing a hi gh level of c-Src is characterized by the loss of the cadherin-catenin comp lexes, It appears that to induce frog morphogenetic malformations, the c-Sr c overproduction and the loss of cadherins-catenins are simultaneously requ ired. Phosphorylation is not likely to be the cause of cadherin and catenin disappearance from the tissues of strongly aberrant frog embryos.