Expression of alpha-actin and cytoskeletal-actin genes during early embryogenesis in amphibians : Xenopus laevis and Ambystoma mexicanum

Abstract EN

A cytoskeletal-actin cDNA was isolated from cDNA library made from RNA extracted from Xenopus laevis leg muscle.

The cDNA was cloned in pUC8 plasmid, and its restriction map was made.

The cytoskeletal-actin cDNA probe recognized primarly a 2KB transcript in total RNA extracted from ovary and heart tissues and in total RNA extracted from all developmental stages of Xenopus laevis.

In contrast, alpha-actin gene expression startes at late gastrula (stage 13) in Xenopus laevis embryo, and at the same stage in axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) embryo.

Injection of germinal vesicle into the cytoplasm of Xenopus laevis oocytes seems to inhibit the expression of alpha-actin during early embryogenesis, but does not affect the cytoskeletal-actin gene expression