TITLE:
Expression Patterns of CAPN1 and CAPN8b Genes during Embryogenesis in Xenopus laevis
AUTHORS:
Lucie Abrouk-Vérot, Claire Brun, Jean-Marie Exbrayat
KEYWORDS:
Calpain; Embryonic Development; Cell Death; Xenopus laevis
JOURNAL NAME:
CellBio,
Vol.2 No.4,
December
4,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Calpains are a superfamily of Ca2+-dependent
cysteine proteases, implicated in various cellular processes and thus probably necessary in all
the stages of cell life. The first extended report of
quantification of total RNAs within the developmental stages of Xenopus laevis was described in this
study. Decreases of total RNAs were positively associated with waves of
apoptotic cell death (onset of gastrulation, and morphogenesis). Using qPCR,
the temporal expression pattern of CAPN1 and CPAN8b (XCL-2) were characterized
during the Xenopus laevis embryogenesis. Transcripts of the CAPN1 and
CAPN8 genes were detectable from gastrula stage and their levels oscillated
throughout development. The expression of the CAPN1 (mu/I) gene was observed in
earliest stage, indicating a maternal origin, while expression of the CAPN8b
gene was detectable after midblastula transition. The levels of the two
transcripts then started to rise again obviously as a result of zygotic
expression (stage 11). The CAPN1 gene expression was particularly expressed at
tailbud stage, while the CAPN8 transcripts were found at gastrula,
neurula and tailbud stages. This is the first report of quantification of mRNAs
CAPN8b and CAPN1 (mu/I) within the developmental stages of Xenopus laevis by qPCR.