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The existing table of stages of the normal development of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) ends just after hatching. At this time, the forelimbs are small buds. In this study, we extend the staging series through completion of development of the forelimbs and hindlimbs. Developmental Dynamics 226:555-560, 2003.

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(Q.Z., M.P.R.)Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants lacking a functional ERA1 gene, which encodes the b-subunit of protein farnesyltransferase (PFT), exhibit pleiotropic effects that establish roles for protein prenylation in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and meristem development. Here, we report the effects of T-DNA insertion mutations in the Arabidopsis GGB gene, which encodes the b-subunit of protein geranylgeranyltransferase type I (PGGT I). Stomatal apertures of ggb plants were smaller than those of wild-type plants at all concentrations of ABA tested, suggesting that PGGT I negatively regulates ABA signaling in guard cells. However, germination of ggb seeds in response to ABA was similar to the wild type. Lateral root formation in response to exogenous auxin was increased in ggb seedlings compared to the wild type, but no change in auxin inhibition of primary root growth was observed, suggesting that PGGT I is specifically involved in negative regulation of auxin-induced lateral root initiation. Unlike era1 mutants, ggb mutants exhibited no obvious developmental phenotypes. However, era1 ggb double mutants exhibited more severe developmental phenotypes than era1 mutants and were indistinguishable from plp mutants lacking the shared a-subunit of PFT and PGGT I. Furthermore, overexpression of GGB in transgenic era1 plants partially suppressed the era1 phenotype, suggesting that the relatively weak phenotype of era1 plants is due to partial redundancy between PFT and PGGT I. These results are discussed in the context of Arabidopsis proteins that are putative substrates of PGGT I.Protein prenylation involves the formation of a thioether bond between a farnesyl (C15) or geranylgeranyl (C20) group and a C-terminal Cys residue (Clarke, 1992;Zhang and Casey, 1996). This posttranslational modification promotes protein-membrane and, in many cases, protein-protein interactions. Three protein prenyltransferases are known to catalyze protein prenylation in plants and other eukaryotes: (1) a heterodimeric protein farnesyltransferase (PFT) that consists of a-and b-subunits and transfers a farnesyl group from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to proteins bearing a C-terminal CaaX motif, where ''C'' is Cys, ''a'' is often an aliphatic amino acid, and ''X'' is generally Met, Ala, Gln, Ser, or Cys; (2) a heterodimeric type I protein geranylgeranyltransferase (PGGT I) that shares a common a-subunit with PFT but possesses a distinct b-subunit and transfers a geranylgeranyl group from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) to proteins bearing a C-terminal CaaX motif, where ''X'' is Leu; and (3) a heterotrimeric type II protein geranylgeranyltransferase (PGGT II or Rab PGGT) that consists of distinct a-and b-subunits, as well as a third subunit called the Rab escort protein, and transfers a geranylgeranyl group from GGPP to Rab protein substrates (Clarke, 1992;Zhang and Casey, 1996;Crowell, 2000). PFT subunits have been identified and characterized from pea (Pisum sativum; Yang et al., 1993;Qian et al., 1996), tomato (Lycopersicon ...

Changes in intermediate fiiament content and extracellular matrix material showed that the injury response of ependymal cells in lesioned axolotl spinal cord involves an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation, and that fibrous astrocytes are excluded from the remodeling lesion site. Antibody localization was used to visualize cytokeratin-, vimentin-, and glial fibrillary acidic protein-(GFAP-) containing intermediate filaments, as well as the adhesive glycoprotein fibronectin. In normal axolotl spinal cord cytokeratins were found near the apical surface of the ependymal cells. Transmission electron microscopic examination suggested that these cytokeratins were in tonofilaments. Cytokeratin expression was lost and vimentin production was initiated in ependymal cells 23 weeks following spinal cord injury. There was a period of approximately 1-2 weeks when cytokeratins and vimentin were co-expressed in vivo. This co-expression was maintained in vitro by culture on a fibronectin-coated substratum. As the central canal reformed, vimentin expression was lost. Ependymal cells lacked GFAP intermediate filaments, but GFAP was present in fibrous astrocytes of the neuropil and white matter. Following injury, GFAP localization showed that fibrous astrocytes disappeared from the remodeling lesion site and reappeared only after the ependymal epithelium reformed and newly myelinated axons were found. Fibronectin expression closely followed the expression of vimentin during mesenchymal ependymal cell outgrowth. These results suggest that the ependymal cell outgrowth requires changes in cell shape followed by changes in production of extracellular matrix.