A divergent Tbx6-related gene and Tbx6 are both required for neural crest and intermediate mesoderm development in Xenopus.

ABSTRACT: T-box family transcription factors play many roles in Metazoan development. Here we characterise Tbx6r, a unique Tbx6 paralogue isolated from the amphibian Xenopus. The evolution and developmental integration of this divergent T-box gene within the vertebrates reveals an unexpected level of plasticity within this conserved family of developmental regulators. We show that despite their co-expression, Tbx6 and Tbx6r have dissimilar transcriptional responses to ligand treatment, and their ability to activate ligand expression is also very different. The two paralogues have distinct inductive properties: Tbx6 induces mesoderm whereas Tbx6r induces anterior neural markers. We use hybrid proteins in an effort to understand this difference, and implicate the C-terminal regions of the proteins in

SUBMITTER: Callery EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2877776 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature