Vgr-1, a Mammalian Gene Related to Xenopus Vg-1, is a Member of the Transforming Growth Factor β Gene Superfamily

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1989-06, Vol.86 (12), p.4554-4558
• Main Authors: Lyons, Karen, Graycar, Jeannette L., Lee, Angela, Hashmi, Sofie, Lindouist, Patricia B., Chen, Ellson Y., Brigid L. M. Hogan, Derynck, Rik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cell lines; Cellular differentiation; Complementary DNA; Developmental biology; Drosophila - genetics; Embryos; Endoderm; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genes. Genome; Gin; Messenger RNA; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR - growth & development; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; Organ Specificity; RNA; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Species Specificity; Transforming Growth Factors - genetics; Xenopus
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.86.12.4554

The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β )-related products of the Xenopus Vg-1 and Drosophila decapentaplegic (DPP) genes have been implicated in the control of growth and differentiation during embryogenesis. We have isolated a mouse cDNA, Vgr-1, that encodes a polypeptide structurally related to Xenopus Vg-1. Sequence comparisons indicate that the Vgr-1 protein belongs to a family of DPP-like gene products within the TGF-β superfamily. The levels of Vgr-1 RNA were determined in embryos and tissues isolated at various stages of development. A 3.5-kilobase mRNA increases throughout development and into adulthood in many tissues and in F9 teratocarcinoma cells differentiating into endoderm in response to retinoic acid and cAMP. The amino acid homologies and patterns of expression suggest that, like the DPP gene product, Vgr-1 plays a role at various stages of development.