Click here to close Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Echinobase and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a current version of Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.
Echinobase
ECB-ART-35892
Development 1994 Jul 01;1207:1929-35. doi: 10.1242/dev.120.7.1929.
Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

A POU gene required for early cleavage and protein accumulation in the sea urchin embryo.

Char BR , Tan H , Maxson R .


???displayArticle.abstract???
SpOct is a POU gene expressed during oogenesis and early embryogenesis of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. In the first use of antisense technology in the sea urchin embryo, we report that disruption of SpOct gene function in 1-cell zygotes by the injection of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides arrests development prior to the first cell division. We show that single-stranded antisense oligodeoxynucleotides specifically block cleavage, and that injection of SpOct mRNA overcomes this block. The accumulation of [35S]methionine into zygotically synthesized protein is significantly reduced in antisense-injected embryos. DNA synthesis is also reduced by the antisense regimen as expected from the antisense inhibition of protein accumulation. That protein accumulation prior to the first cleavage is retarded by antisense targeting of a transcription factor is very surprising in light of classical work showing that the activation of protein synthesis does not require zygotic transcription. We conclude that either some new transcription is obligate for the accumulation of new protein, or that the SpOct gene plays a novel, non-transcriptional role in this process.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 7924998
???displayArticle.link??? Development
???displayArticle.grants??? [+]

Genes referenced: LOC100887844 LOC115919910