Abstract
Members of the Tcf/Lef family interact with β-catenin to activate programs of gene expression during development. Recently β-catenin was shown to be essential for establishing cell fate along the animal-vegetal axis of the sea urchin embryo. To examine the role of Tcf/Lef in sea urchins we cloned a Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Tcf/Lef homolog. Expression of SpTcf/Lef was maximal when β-catenin became localized to nuclei of vegetal blastomeres, consistent with its acting in combination with β-catenin to specify vegetal cell fates. Expression of a dominant-negative SpTcf/Lef inhibited primary and secondary mesenchyma, endoderm, and aboral ectoderm formation in a manner similar to that observed when nuclear accumulation of β-catenin was prevented. Our results suggest that SpTcf/Lef functions by interacting with β-catenin to specify cell fates along the sea urchin animal-vegetal axis.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 73-81 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Development Genes and Evolution |
Volume | 210 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2000 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- β-Catenin
- Cell fate determination
- Sea urchins embryos
- Tcf/Lef
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics