Involvement of Tmem150b during Xenopus convergent extension

Abstract

Transmembraneprotein150b(Tmem150b)isanuncharacterizedprotein.ItwasfoundfromthemicroarrayscreeningthatwasperformedtofindnovelgenesundertheconditionthatVegTandβ-cateninwereco-expressed,whichareregardedasorganizerinducingfactorsinXenopus.Tmem150bcontains6transmembranedomainsandbelongstotheFrag1superfamilybutitsphysiologicalfunctionremainsunknown.Duringearlygastrulation,Tmem150bisexpressedatthedorsalmesendodermregion.Asthegastrulationprogresses,theexpressionisrestrictedalongthechorda-mesoderm.Over-expressionofTmem150binXenopusembryoshowsthedefectivephenotypeofconvergentextension(CE)duringgastrulation.TheexpressionsofthemesodermformationmarkergenessuchasXbraandChordinarenotaffectedbytheover-expressionofTmem150b.Dorsalmarginalzone(DMZ)elongationisinhibitedinthetissueisolatedfromTmem150bover-expressedembryos.ThesefindingsimplythepossibleinvolvementofTmem150bingastrulationCE.Meanwhile,thedepletionofTmem150balsocausestheneuraltubeclosuredefectduringneurulation.FurtherstudyforthefunctionofTmem150bisstillrequired