A NOVEL GENE ENCODING A FERREDOXIN REDUCTASE-LIKE PROTEIN EXPRESSED IN THE NEUROECTODERM IN XENOPUS NEURULA

In an attempt to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of early neural de velopment in Xenopus laevis, we identified, using a differential displ ay method, several genes that are induced after Concanavalin A treatme nt in the animal caps prepared from stage 9 blastula. One such gene wa s found to encode a possible type IIIa membrane protein of 66.2 kDa sh aring similarities with several prokaryotic and eukaryotic redox enzym es, hence the putative product was named Nfrl, neurula-specific ferred oxin reductase-like protein. Northern blot analysis confirmed that the expression of the Nfrl gene is up-regulated around the neurula stage, and is much lower in embryos of earlier stages and in adult tissues. The temporally limited expression of this gene implies neurula- and ea rly larva-specific redox reactions of certain substrates, the nature o f which remains to be elucidated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.