beta-catenin is a cytoplasmic protein associated with cadherin adhesion molecules and has been implicated in axis formation in Xenopus (McCrea, P. D., Brieher, W. M. and Gumbiner, B. M. (1993) J. Cell Biol. 127, 477–484). We have studied its distribution in Xenopus embryos by immunofluorescence on frozen sections. Consistent with its function in cell-cell adhesion, beta-catenin is present in every cell. However, high levels are expressed in certain regions and different tissues of the embryo. No simple correlation appears to exist between the levels of beta-catenin with the expected strength of adhesion. High levels of beta-catenin were found in regions undergoing active morphogenetic movements, such as the marginal zone of blastulae and gastrulae. This suggests that high expression of beta-catenin could be involved in dynamic adhesion events. Surprisingly, beta-catenin also accumulates on plasma membranes that probably do not establish direct or strong contacts with other cells. In particular, high amounts of beta-catenin are found transiently at boundaries between tissue anlagen and at the intersomitic boundaries. This unexpected pattern of beta-catenin expression raises the possibility that this molecule participates in developmental processes, perhaps independently of its classical role in cell-cell adhesion.
REFERENCES
Angres
B.
, Muller
A.H.J.
, Kellermann
J.
, Hausen
P.
(1991
) Differential expression of two cadherins in Xenopus laevis.
Development
111
, 829
–844
Behrens
J.
, Vakaet
L.
, Friis
R.
, Winterhagen
E.
, Van Roy
F.
, Mareel
M.M.
, Birchmeier
W.
(1993
) Loss of epithelial differentiation and gain of invasiveness correlates with tyrosine phosphorylation of the E-cadherin/-catenin complex in cells transformed with a temperature-sensitive v-SRC gene.
J. Cell Biol
120
, 757
–766
Bolce
M.E.
, Hemmati-Brivanlou
A.
, Kushner
P.D.
, Harland
R.M.
(1992
) Ventral ectoderm of Xenopus forms neural tissue, including hindbrain, in response to activin.
Development
115
, 681
–688
Bradley
R.S.
, Cowin
P.
, Brown
A.M.C.
(1993
) Expression of Wnt-1 in PC12 cells results in modulation of plakoglobin and E-cadherin and increased cellular adhesion.
J. Cell Biol
123
, 1857
–1865
Cary
R.B.
, Klymkowski
M.W.
(1994
) Desmin organization duirng the differentiation of the dorsal myotome in Xenopusleavis.
Differentiation
56
, 31
–38
Choi
Y.S.
, Gumbiner
B.
(1989
) Expression of cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in Xenopus embryos begins at gastrulation and predominates in the ectoderm.
J. Cell Biol
108
, 2449
–2458
Choi
Y.S.
, Sehgal
R.
, McCrea
P.
, Gumbiner
B.
(1990
) A cadherin-like protein in eggs and cleaving embryos of Xenopus laevis is expressed in oocytes in response to progesterone.
J. Cell Biol
110
, 1575
–1582
DeMarais
A.A.
, Moon
R.T.
(1992
) The armadillo homologs b-catenin and plakoglobin are differentially expressed during early development of Xenopus laevis.
Dev. Biol
153
, 337
–346
Dent
J.A.
, Polson
A.G.
, Klymkowsky
M.W.
(1989
) A whole-mount immunocytochemical analysis of the expression of the intermediate filament protein vimentin in Xenopus.
Development
105
, 61
–74
Detrick
R.J.
, Dickey
D.
, Kintner
C.R.
(1990
) The effects of N-cadherin misexpression on morphogenesis in Xenopus embryos.
Neuron
4
, 493
–506
Fey
J.
, Hausen
P.
(1990
) Appearance and distribution of laminin during development of Xenopus laevis.
Differentiation
42
, 144
–152
Ginsberg
D.
, DeSimone
D.
, Geiger
B.
(1991
) Expression of a novel cadherin (EP-cadherin) in unfertilized eggs and early Xenopus embryos.
Development
111
, 315
–325
Gont
L.K.
, Steinbeisser
H.
, Blumberg
B.
, DeRobertis
E.M.
(1993
) Tail formation as a continuation of gastrulation: multiple cell populations of the Xenopus tailbud derive from the late blastopore lip.
Development
119
, 991
–1004
Gumbiner
B.M.
, McCrea
P.D.
(1993
) Catenins as mediators of the cytoplasmic functions of adhesion molecules.
J. Cell Sci
17
, 155
–158
Hinck
L.
, Nelson
W.J.
, Papkoff
J.
(1994
) Wnt-1 modulates cell-cell adhesion in ammalian cells by destabilizing-catenin binding to the cell adhesion protein cadherin.
J. Cell Biol
124
, 729
–742
Hirano
S.
, Kimoto
N.
, Shimoyama
Y.
, Hirohashi
S.
, Takeichi
M.
(1992
) Identification of a neural a-catenin as a key regulator of cadherin function and multicellular organization.
Cell
70
, 293
–301
Johnson
K.E.
(1977
) Extracellular matrix synthesis in blastula and gastrula stages of normal and hybrid frog embryos: I. Toluidine blue and lanthanum staining.
J. Cell Sci
25
, 313
–322
Keller
R.
, Cooper
M.S.
, Danilchik
M.
, Tibbetts
P.
, Wilson
P.A.
(1989
) Cell intercalation during notochord development in Xenopuslaevis.
J. Exp. Zool
251
, 134
–154
Keller
R.
, Winklbauer
R.
(1992
) Cellular basis of amphibian gastrulation.
Current Topics in Developmental Biology
27
, 39
–89
Ku
M.
, Melton
D.A.
(1993
) Xwnt-11: a maternally expressed Xenopus wnt gene.
Development
119
, 1161
–1173
Levi
G.
, Ginsberg
D.
, Girault
J.-M.
, Sabanay
I.
, Thiery
J.-P.
, Geiger
B.
(1991
) EP-cadherin in muscles and epithelia of Xenopuslaevis embryos.
Development
113
, 1335
–1344
McCrea
P.
, Gumbiner
B.
(1991
) Purification of a 92-kDa cytoplasmic protein tightly associated with the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin (uvomorulin): Characterization and extractability of the protein complex from the cell cytostructure.
J. Biol. Chem
266
, 4514
–4520
McCrea
P.D.
, Turck
C.W.
, Gumbiner
B.
(1991
) A homolog of the armadillo protein Drosophila (Plakoglobin) associated with E-cadherin.
Science
254
, 1359
–61
McCrea
P.D.
, Brieher
W.M.
, Gumbiner
B.M.
(1993
) Induction of a secondary axis in Xenopus by antibodies to-catenin.
J. Cell Biol
123
, 477
–484
Moon
R.T.
(1993
) In pursuit of the functions of the Wnt family of developmental regulators: insights from Xenopuslaevis.
BioEssays
15
, 91
–97
Nagafuchi
A.
, Takeichi
M.
(1989
) Transmembrane control of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion: a 94 kDa protein functionally associated with a specific region of the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin.
Cell Regulation
1
, 37
–44
Nakao
T.
(1976
) Some observations on the fine structure of the myotendinous junction in myotomal mucle of the tadpole tail.
Cell Tissue Res
166
, 241
–254
Ozawa
M.
, Baribault
H.
, Kemler
R.
(1989
) The cytoplasmic domain of the cell adhesion molecule uvomorulin associates with three independent proteins structurally related in different species.
EMBO J
8
, 6
–.Ozawa
M.
, Kemler
R.
(1992
) Molecular organization of the uvomorulin-catenin complex.
J. Cell Biol
116
, 989
–996
Peifer
M.
, Sweeton
D.
, Casey
M.
, Wieschaus
E.
(1994
) wingless signal and Zeste-white 3 kinase trigger opposing changes in the intracellular distribution of Armadillo.
Development
120
, 369
–380
Rubinfeld
B.
, Souza
B.
, Albert
I.
, Muller
O.
, Chamberlain
S.H.
, Masiarz
F.R.
, Munemitsu
S.
, Polakis
P.
(1993
) Association of the APC gene product with-catenin.
Science
262
, 1731
–1734
Schneider
S.
, Herrenknecht
K.
, Butz
S.
, Kemler
R.
, Hausen
P.
(1993
) Catenins in Xenopus embryogenesis and their relation to the cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion system.
Development
118
, 629
–640
Sechrist
J.
, Serbeddzija
G.N.
, Scherson
T.
, Fraser
S.E.
, Bronner-Fraser
M.
(1993
) Segmental migration of the hindbrain neural crest does not arise from its segmental generation.
Development
118
, 691
–703
Shih
J.
, Keller
R.
(1992
) Cell motility driving mediolateral intercalation in explants of Xenopuslaevis.
Development
116
, 901
–914
Shih
J.
, Keller
R.
(1992
) Pattern of cell motility in the organizer and dorsal mesoderm of Xenopuslaevis.
Development
116
, 915
–930
Simmoneau
L.
, Broders
F.
, Thiery
J.-P.
(1992
) N-cadherin transcripts in Xenopuslaevis from early tailbud to tadpole.
Dev. Dyn
194
, 247
–260
Su
L.K.
, Vogelstein
B.
, Kinzler
K.W.
(1993
) Association of the APC tumor suppressor protein with catenins.
Science
262
, 1734
–1737
Symes
K.
, Smith
J.C.
(1987
) Gastrulation movements provide an early marker of mesoderm induction in Xenopuslaevis.
Development
101
, 339
–349
Takeichi
M.
(1991
) Cadherin cell adhesion receptors as a morphogenetic regulator.
Science
251
, 1451
–1455
Torpey
N.P.
, Heasman
J.
, Wylie
C.C.
(1992
) Distinct distribution of vimentin and cytokeratin in Xenopus oocytes and early embryos.
J. Cell Sci
101
, 151
–160
Vestweber
D.
, Gossler
A.
, Boller
K.
, Kemler
R.
(1987
) Expression and distribution of cell adhesion molecule uvomorulin in mouse preimplantation embryos.
Dev. Biol
124
, 451
–456
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1994 by Company of Biologists
1994
