deltaNp63 es requerido en el desarrollo temprano de la epidermis de Xenopus laevis (EN PRENSA)

MARÍA GUADALUPE BARRIONUEVO; MANUEL J. AYBAR; CELESTE TRÍBULO

Tafi del Valle, Tucuman

Congreso; XVII Jornadas Científicas de la Asociación de Biología de Tucumán; 2010

Asociación de Biología de Tucumán

ΔNp63 IS REQUIRED IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF XENOPUS LAEVIS EPIDERMIS Barrionuevo, MG; Aybar, MJ; Tríbulo, C. Dept. Biología del Desarrollo, INSIBIO (CONICET-UNT). Tucumán, Argentina  The p63 gene is a transcription factor of the p53 gene family. In mammals, this gene has two promoters that generate two different protein isoforms, TAp63 and ΔNp63. In Xenopus laevis it was identified only the ΔNp63γ isoform, whose role in the embryonic development remains unknown. In mammals and zebrafish, ΔNp63 appears to be required for epidermal development. Previously, we determined that ΔNp63 is expressed in the prospective epidermis of Xenopus laevis embryo. We analyzed the in vivo role of ΔNp63 in the specification of the epidermis. First, we carried out ΔNp63 gain of function experiments in ectoderm explants. It was observed an increase in epidermal markers and a decrease of neural markers analyzed by RT-PCR. Then, we built a chimeric fluorescent protein (dnΔNp63GFP) that acts as a dominant negative of ΔNp63. We carried out loss of function experiments overexpressing dnΔNp63GFP and a Morpholino antisense oligonucleotide. The ΔNp63 inhibition leaded to a lower expression of epidermal marker genes (XK81a, rexp52) and an increase in the expression of neural markers (Slug, FoxD3, Sox2). The same results were obtained when the expression of these marker genes was analyzed in ectoderm explants. These results suggest that the ΔNp63 gene is involved in the early induction of the epidermis and is required for the proper development of this tissue.