Analysis of temporal and spatial expression patterns of Miox gene during development of Xenopus laevis embryos / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the molecular evolution of myo-inositol oxygenase (Miox) gene and its temporal and spatial expression patterns during the development of Xenopus laevis embryos. Methods The temporal and spatial expression patterns of Miox gene were analyzed by semi, quantitative RT, PCR and whole, mount in situ hybridization technique, respectively. Results RT, PCR results showed that Miox gene was hardly found before stage 26; slight expression was found at stage 28, which gradually increased thereafter, reaching a high level at stage 40 and peaked at stage 41; and then it had a decrease at stage 45. Compared with stages 28, 34, stages 40, 41, and 45 had a significantly higher Miox gene expression (P<0.05). Compared with stage 40, stage 41 had a significantly higher Miox gene expression(P<0.05). But stage 45 had a significantly lower expression compared with stage 41(P<0.05). The results of whole, mount in situ hybridization showed no Miox expression before stage 30; at stage 33 weak expression was found in the pronephros, and the expression gradually increased as time went by. The results of whole, mount in situ hybridization were consistent with that of RT, PCR, with Miox expression notably increased at stage 39, 40, and then remained at that level. We also found that Miox was only expressed in the pronephros tubules during the whole embryo development period. Conclusion Miox is a kidney, specific gene during Xenopus laevis pronephros development, and it may serve as a marker for later pronephros development in organogenesis.