First published online May 10, 2006
Journal of Cell Science 119, 1003e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Spotting developmental regulators
Analysis of patterns of transcription has identified many genes that regulate vertebrate gastrulation, an early morphological event that forms the distinct germ layers of the embryo. But this approach misses developmentally important proteins whose activity is regulated translationally or post-translationally. To identify these, Carl-Philipp Heisenberg's team has used 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to compare the patterns of protein synthesis and modification in zebrafish ectodermal and mesendodermal progenitor cells (see p. 2073). Using this comparative proteomics approach, the authors identified 35 differentially produced/modified proteins, most of which were not evident from a parallel transcription analysis. One protein identified by the analysis is ezrin 2, When activated by phosphorylation, this protein links actin filaments to integral plasma membrane proteins, thereby regulating cell shape, adhesion and motility. The authors find that ezrin 2 is activated by phosphorylation in zebrafish mesendodermal cells and is required for proper germ layer morphogenesis. They therefore conclude that comparative proteomics provides a powerful way to identify proteins that regulate early development.
Related articles in JCS:
- Identification of regulators of germ layer morphogenesis using proteomics in zebrafish
- Vinzenz Link, Lara Carvalho, Irinka Castanon, Petra Stockinger, Andrej Shevchenko, and Carl-Philipp Heisenberg
JCS 2006 119: 2073-2083.
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