Germ plasm in Eleutherodactylus coqui, a direct developing frog with large eggs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

RNAs for embryo patterning and for germ cell specification are localized to the vegetal cortex of the oocyte of Xenopus laevis. In oocytes of the direct developing frog Eleutherodactylus coqui, orthologous RNAs for patterning are not localized, raising the question as to whether RNAs and other components of germ plasm are localized in this species.

Methods

To identify germ plasm, E. coqui embryos were stained with DiOC6(3) or examined by in situ hybridization for dazl and DEADSouth RNAs. The cDNAs for the E. coqui orthologues were cloned by RT-PCR using degenerate primers. To examine activity of the E. coqui orthologues, RNAs, made from constructs of their 3'UTRs with mCherry, were injected into X. laevis embryos.

Results

Both DiOC6(3) and dazl and DEADSout

SUBMITTER: Elinson RP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3196704 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature