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Persistence and expression of histone genes injected into Xenopus eggs in early development

Nature volume 292, pages 65–67 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

Microinjection of amphibian oocytes with purified cloned DNA has proven to be a valuable assay system for studying eukaryotic gene expression1–13. The oocyte's ability to express microinjected genes has already allowed a functional analysis of several genes and their sequence manipulated counterparts14–20. Although such studies are now possible with several other expression systems, the oocyte system is unique in that it represents a cell destined, on fertilization, to divide and differentiate into an embryo. Thus, it was envisaged that the technique of microinjecting genes and their mutant analogues into fertilized eggs might eventually be used as an assay system for studying the transcriptional control processes that occur during cell differentiation and development. To this end, fertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis were injected with a cloned repeat of sea urchin histone genes and the fate and expression of the injected genes examined during the early stages of Xenopus development. After replication during the early cleavage stages, the injected sea urchin histone DNA sequences persisted to at least the swimming tadpole stage. The injected genes were also at least in part faithfully transcribed into RNA species with the correct histone mRNA 5′ and 3′ termini. Thus, these results, reported here, meet the prerequisites for an assay system capable of being used to investigate the factors involved in the developmental control of gene activity.

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  1. Institut für Molekularbiologie II der Universität Zürich, Hönggerberg, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Mary M. Bendig

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  1. Mary M. Bendig
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Bendig, M. Persistence and expression of histone genes injected into Xenopus eggs in early development. Nature 292, 65–67 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292065a0

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