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1: Dev Biol. 2006 Apr 15;292(2):442-56.
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The RNA-binding protein, Vg1RBP, is required for pancreatic fate specification.

Spagnoli FM, Brivanlou AH.

The Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrae Embryology, New York, NY 10021, USA.

Signaling mechanisms underlying the induction of the pre-pancreatic tissue within the endoderm remain poorly understood. Through an expression cloning strategy, we have identified a previously uncharacterized pancreatic factor that we named Shirin. Interestingly, the non-coding RNA regulatory sequence (3 UTR) of Shirin is sufficient to induce insulin expression in Xenopus embryos. Biochemical studies demonstrate that this RNA sequence is able to bind directly to a trans-acting factor, Vg1RBP, which was previously shown to be involved in the localization of endodermal determinant factors. Loss-of-function analysis indicates that Vg1RBP is required for establishment of pancreatic fate within the endoderm, suggesting a synergism between Vg1RBP and Shirin in the embryo. This study argues for a central role of post-transcriptional mechanisms in establishing pancreatic fate, where a 3 UTR may recruit factors necessary for pancreatic development, and highlights an unknown embryological activity of Vg1RBP.

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PMID: 16680827 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]