Expression of BMP-2,4 Genes during Early Development in Xenopus

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Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family has been implicated in the regulation of cell differentiation during early development. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are thought to play particularly important roles in the formation of the dorso-ventral axis of Xenopus laevis. We found by means of in situ hybridization that BMP transcripts were localized during early Xenopus embryogenesis. BMP-4 transcripts were localized first to neural crest cells, presumptive heart mesoderm and around the yolk plug at the neurula stage and to the eye, auditory vesicles, the heart and mesenchymal cells of fin at the tailbud stage. In sharp contrast, BMP-2 transcripts were strictly localized to olfactory placodes at the tailbud stage. These results showed temporal and spatial regulation of the genes and thus support the notion that BMP proteins are important for directing cell growth and differentiation during organogenesis in the amphibian embryo.

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