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Fig. 3. Microinjection of XSufu mRNA suppresses neural plate formation, stimulates anterior neural markers and promotes eye development. Embryos were animally injected at the 4-cell stage with nlacZ mRNA as control or XSufu mRNA. All specimens were injected into a single blastomere. Embryos are shown in dorsal (A,A′,B,B′,E–E′,F,F′,H), anterior (C–C′,D–D′,G,G′), lateral views (I,I′), or as transversal section (J,J′). (A,B,A′,B′) XSufu mRNA causes reduction of Sox2 and concomitant expansion of Cytokeratin expression on the injected right side (arrowhead). (C–E,C′–E′) XSufu mRNA causes posteriorward expansion of Otx2 expression and a posterior shift of En2 and Krox20 expression, while FoxG1 expression remains unaffected. (C′–E′) Co-injection of XSufu mRNA and Wnt3a DNA restores normal expression of Otx2, En2, and Krox20. (F,F′) XSufu mRNA has no effect on MyoD expression upon animal injection. (G,G′,H–J,I′,J′) XSufu mRNA leads to an enlargement of Rx2A expression, enlarged eye structures and expansion of the neural retina. Frequency of embryos with the indicated phenotype was: A′, 44/46; B′, 61/62; C′, 7/10; C′, 12/12; D′, 46/51; D′, 19/21; E′, 116/125; E′, 32/40; F′, 19/21; G′, 95/108; H, 56/115. |
