Membrane skeleton protein 4.1 in developing Xenopus: expression in postmitotic cells of the retina.

Membrane skeleton protein 4.1 plays a key role in modulating the interactions of spectrin, actin, and integral membrane proteins in erythroid and nonerythroid cells. We have investigated its structure and expression during embryonic development of Xenopus laevis.

Expression of the poly(A)-binding protein during development of Xenopus laevis.

We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding the poly(A)-binding protein of Xenopus laevis oocytes. Polyclonal antiserum was raised against a fusion protein encoding 185 amino acids of the Xenopus poly(A)-binding protein. This antiserum localizes the poly(A)-binding protein to subcellular sites associated with protein synthesis; in the retina, immunoreactive protein is detected in the synthetically active inner segment of the photoreceptor but not in the transductive outer segment.

Antisense RNA inhibits expression of membrane skeleton protein 4.1 during embryonic development of Xenopus.

Plasmids expressing partial-length sense or antisense protein 4.1 RNA were microinjected into fertilized Xenopus eggs. Nuclease protection assays reveal that antisense protein 4.

Characterization of murine cDNAs encoding P-57, a neural-specific calmodulin-binding protein.

Polyclonal antibodies raised against bovine brain P-57, a neural-specific calmodulin-binding protein, were used to isolate murine cDNAs encoding P-57 from murine brain cDNA libraries in the expression vector lambda gt 11. Two of the overlapping clones contained an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 227 amino acid residues (predicted Mr, 23,635), a 163-nucleotide 5'-untranslated sequence, and a 403-nucleotide 3'-untranslated sequence. Hydrophobicity analysis of the predicted polypeptide indicated the lack of any considerable stretch of hydrophobic residues that may span the membrane.

Changes in the expression of alpha-fodrin during embryonic development of Xenopus laevis.

Fodrin (nonerythroid spectrin) and its associated proteins have been previously implicated in the establishment of specialized membrane-cytoskeletal domains in differentiating cells. Using antiserum which is monospecific for the alpha-subunit of fodrin, we demonstrate that alpha-fodrin is present in oocytes and adult tissues of Xenopus laevis. Analyses of the de novo synthesis of alpha-fodrin during embryonic development reveal that alpha-fodrin is synthesized in oocytes, but not during early development.

cDNA cloning, sequencing and chromosome mapping of a non-erythroid spectrin, human alpha-fodrin.

Several overlapping cDNA clones encompassing 2760 nucleotides of the alpha-subunit of a human non-erythroid spectrin (termed fodrin) were isolated from a human lung fibroblast cDNA library. DNA and RNA blot analyses indicated that a single copy alpha-fodrin gene encodes a 9-kb transcript. The cDNA clones were sequenced, and all were found to contain long open reading frames.

Quantitative and qualitative changes in histone gene expression during early mouse embryo development.

There are large amounts of histone mRNA present in mouse eggs. These RNAs are rapidly degraded, as are other mRNAs, after fertilization and prior to the second cleavage. During cleavage, the histone mRNA accumulates as the embryo divides.

Actin mRNA content in normal and delayed implanting mouse embryos.

Actin mRNA levels were measured in mouse eggs, early embryos, and delayed implanting blastocysts by a homologous, cloned recombinant DNA probe and "dot" blot methodology. A maternal store of 431 fg of actin mRNA was observed in the unfertilized eggs. This mRNA pool decreased 12-fold by the mid-two-cell stage.

Changes in the quantity of histone and actin messenger RNA during the development of preimplantation mouse embryos.

Actin and histone H3 mRNA levels in mouse eggs and early embryos have been measured by use of recombinant DNA probes having sequence homology to those mRNA species. Total nucleic acid was extracted from pools of unfertilized eggs, two-cell embryos, eight-cell embryos, and blastocysts. The nucleic acids were resolved electrophoretically, bound to diazotized paper following Northern transfer, and hybridized with 32P-labeled histone or actin DNA probes.