Embryology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Embryology, including details on stem cells, reproduction, transplants, cloning.

Teashirt 3 expression in the chick embryo reveals a remarkable association with tendon development.

Manfroid I, Caubit X, Marcelle C, Fasano L

Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille-Luminy, UMR CNRS 6216, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de la Méditerranée, Campus de Luminy, F-13288 Marseille cedex 09, France.

Drosophila teashirt (tsh) is involved in the patterning of the trunk identity together with the Hox genes. In addition, it is also a player in the Wingless and the Hedgehog pathways. In birds and mammals, three Tshz genes are identified and the expression patterns for mouse Tshz1 and Tshz2 have been reported during embryogenesis. Recently, we showed that all three mouse Tshz genes can rescue the Drosophila tsh loss-of-function phenotype, indicating that the function of the teashirt genes has been conserved during evolution. Here we describe the expression pattern of chick TSHZ3 during embryogenesis. Chick TSHZ3 is expressed in several tissues including mesodermal derivatives, the central and peripheral nervous systems. Emphasis is laid on the dynamic expression occurring in regions of the somites and limbs where tendons develop. We show that TSHZ3 is activated in the somites by FGF8, a known inducer of the tendon marker SCX.

Published 11 September 2006 in Gene Expr Patterns, 6(8): 908-12.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Embryology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.