Identification of a novel left–right asymmetrically expressed gene in the mouse belonging to the BPI/PLUNC superfamily

✍ Scribed by Juan Hou; Kenta Yashiro; Yasushi Okazaki; Yukio Saijoh; Yoshihide Hayashizaki; Hiroshi Hamada

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 632 KB
• Volume: 229
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1058-8388
• DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.10450

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In the process of left–right (L‐R) axis formation in the mouse, the node plays a critical role as a structure where the initial breaking of L‐R symmetry occurs. Here, we report on the gene LPlunc1, a member of BPI/PLUNC gene superfamily, which is asymmetrically expressed in the developing mouse node. LPlunc1 protein is secreted as a processed form of relative molecular mass 54K‐60K and shares sequence features with the other members of BPI/PLUNC superfamily, including the N‐terminal and C‐terminal homology domains, each of which is considered to form a lipid binding pocket. LPlunc1 is transiently expressed in the crown cells of the node asymmetrically. This expression pattern of Lplunc1 highly overlaps with that of Nodal, a major player during the L‐R formation. Interestingly, this asymmetric expression pattern is randomized in the iv mutant and reversed in the inv mutant, indicating that LPlunc1 is downstream of iv and inv. Our results suggest a link between lipid binding/transfer and the axis development. Developmental Dynamics 229:373–379, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.