Myogenesis in Xenopus laevis

Mohun, Tim; Wilson, Robert; Gionti, Elisa; Logan, Malcolm

doi:10.1016/1050-1738(94)90067-1

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The first activation of muscle-specific genes is observed during gastrulation and concerns the two myogenic regulatory factors XMyf-5 and XMyoD (Hopwood et al, 1989;Harvey, 1991), whose transcripts are detected at stages 9.5 and 10.5, respectively, quickly followed by the accumulation of transcripts of ␣ cardiac actin (Mohun et al, 1988(Mohun et al, , 1994, the first muscle structural gene expressed in vertebrates (Sassoon, 1993). The myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) of the MyoD family (including MyoD itself, Myf-5, myogenin, and MRF4) are basic helix-l (bHLH) helix transcription factors whose ectopic expression is able to convert a wide range of cultured cells to a muscle phenotype and which can promote the transcription of several muscle-specific genes.…”

Section: Establishment Of Muscle Lineages During Early Embryogenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Xenopusmuscle development: From primary to secondary myogenesis

Chanoine

Hardy

2002

Developmental Dynamics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Xenopus myogenesis is characterized by specific features, different from those of mammalian and avian systems both at the cellular level and in gene expression patterns. During early embryogenesis, after the initial molecular signals inducing mesoderm, the myogenic determination factors XMyoD and XMyf-5 are activated in presomitic mesoderm in response to mesoderm-inducing factors. After these first inductions of the myogenic program, forming muscles in Xenopus can have different destinies, some of these resulting in cell death before adulthood. In particular, it is quite characteristic of this species that, during metamorphosis, the primary myotomal myofibers completely die and are progressively replaced by secondary "adult" multinucleated myofibers. This feature offers the unique opportunity to totally separate the molecular analysis of these two distinct types of myogenesis. The aim of this review is to summarize our knowledge on the cellular and molecular events as well as the epigenetic regulations involved in the construction of Xenopus muscles during development. Developmental Dynamics 226:12-23, 2003.

show abstract

Section: Establishment Of Muscle Lineages During Early Embryogenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Xenopusmuscle development: From primary to secondary myogenesis

Chanoine

Hardy

2002

Developmental Dynamics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Myogenesis is regulated by a family of basic helixloop-helix (bHLH} transcription factors, including MyoD and related proteins. In Xenopus, early myogen- esis is thought to be controlled by MyoD and Myf5 (for review, see Mohun et al 1994) both of which are induced in response to activin (Rupp and Weintraub 1991). MRF4, another MyoD-related protein, is thought to act later in muscle maturation (Jennings 1992).…”

Section: Cdk5 Kinase Activity Can Regulate Myogenic Gene Expressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and a novel regulatory subunit in regulating muscle differentiation and patterning.

Philpott¹,

Porro²,

Kirschner³

et al. 1997

Genes Dev.

106

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5, coupled with its activator p35, is required for normal neuronal differentiation and patterning. We have isolated a novel member of the p35 family, Xp35.1, from Xenopus embryos which can activate cdk5. Xp35.1 is expressed in both proliferating and differentiated neural and mesodermal cells and is particularly high in developing somites where cdk5 is also expressed. Using dominant-negative cdk5 (cdk5 DN), we show that cdk5 kinase activity is required for normal somitic muscle development; expression of cdk5 DN results in disruption of somitic muscle patterning, accompanied by stunting of the embryos. Using explants of animal pole tissue from blastula embryos, which will differentiate into mesoderm in response to activin, we show that blocking cdk5 kinase activity down-regulates the expression of the muscle marker muscle actin in response to activin, whereas the pan-mesodermal marker Xbra is unaffected. Expression of MyoD and MRF4 (master regulators of myogenesis) is suppressed in the presence of cdk5 DN, indicating that these myogenic genes may be a target for cdk5 regulation, whereas the related factor Myf5 is largely unaffected. In addition, overexpression of Xp35.1 disrupts muscle organization. Thus, we have demonstrated a novel role for cdk5 in regulating myogenesis in the early embryo.

show abstract