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  • N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase expression during early mouse embryonic development
    Publication . Salgueiro, Ana Marisa; Filipe, Mario; Belo, José A.
    N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST) is an enzyme which is known to help build up the GlcA beta 1-3GalNAc(4,6-bisSO(4)) unit of chondroitin sulfate E (CSE). This enzymatic activity has been reported in squid cartilage and in human serum, but has never been reported as an enzyme required during early mouse development. On the other hand, CSE has been shown to bind with strong affinity to Midkine (MK). The latter is a heparin-binding growth factor which has been found to play important regulatory roles in differentiation and morphogenesis during mouse embryonic development. We have analyzed the expression pattern of the GalNAc4S-6ST gene during early mouse embryonic development by whole mount in situ hybridization. The results show that GalNAc4S-6ST is differentially expressed in the anterior visceral ectoderm at stage E5.5 and later becomes restricted to the embryonic endoderm, especially in the prospective midgut region. During the turning process, expression of GalNAc4S-6ST gene is detected in the forebrain, branchial arches, across the gut tube (hindgut, midgut and foregut diverticulum), in the vitelline veins and artery and in the splanchnopleure layer. These results open the possibility of a role for GalNAc4S-6ST during early mouse development.
  • Developmental expression of Shisa-2 in Xenopus laevis
    Publication . Silva, Ana-Cristina; Filipe, Mario; Vitorino, Marta; Steinbeisser, Herbert; Belo, José A.
    Shisa is an antagonist of Wnt and FGF signaling, that functions cell autonomously in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to inhibit the post-translational maturation of Wnt and FGF receptors. In this paper we report the isolation of a second Xenopus shisa gene (Xshisa-2). Xenopus Shisa-2shows 30.7% identity to Xshisa. RT-PCR analysis indicated that Xshisa-2 mRNA is present throughout early development and shows an increased expression during neurula and tailbud stages. At neurula stages Xenopus shisa-2 is initially expressed in the presomitic paraxial mesoderm and later in the developing somites. The expression profiles and pattern of Xshisa and Xshisa-2 differ significantly. During gastrulation only Xshisa mRNA is present in the Spemann-Mangold organizer and later on becomes restricted to the neuroectoderm and the prechordal plate.