Expression analysis of the chicken homologue of CITED2 during early stagesof embryonic development

Members of the Cited family are nuclear transactivators which bind to the c oactivators p300 and CBP. While Cited1 also binds to the TGF beta signal tr ansducer Smad4, this has not been shown for Cited2. We isolated a chicken h omologue of Cited2 from a HH stage 3-6 cDNA library and examined its expres sion pattern during early stages of embryonic development by whole-mount in situ hybridization. CITED2 expression is detectable in the epiblast as ear ly as stage XI. From HH stage 2 onwards CITED2 is expressed in an anterior domain in the elongating primitive streak in cells which are fated to becom e heart. During gastrulation the expression pattern is highly dynamic and t ransiently displays left-right asymmetry with stronger expression on the ri ght side. CITED2 expression appears at multiple sites of forming mesodermal structures. Most prominently, CITED2 is expressed in presomitic and latera l plate mesoderm, in the headfold (future forebrain), the head mesoderm, th e pharyngeal floor, the ventral blood islands, somitomeres and the intermed iate mesoderm which gives rise to the kidney anlagen. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.