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Activin-like factor from a Xenopus laevis cell line responsible for mesoderm induction

Nature volume 345, pages 732–734 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

INDUCTION of mesoderm during early amphibian embryogenesis can be mimicked in vitro by adding growth factors, including heparin-binding and type-beta transforming growth factors (TGF-β), to isolated ectoderm expiants from Xenopus laevis embryos1–5. Although the mesoderm-inducing factor (MIF) from X. laevis XTC cells (XTC-MIF)6,7 has properties similar to TGF-β, this factor is still unidentified. Recently, we obtained a number of homogeneous cell lines from the heterogeneous XTC population, which differ in their MIF production8. Only one, XTC-GTX-11, produced MIF, although it was similar to the rest of the clones in its production of known growth factors, including TGF-β activity8. This observation, together with the identification of activin A as a potent MIF (ref. 9) led us to study the parallel activities of MIF and activin. Here we report an analysis of activin-like activity from XTC cells and some of the XTC clones, including XTC-GTX-11. There is a clear consistent correlation between MIF activity and presence of activin activity, indicating that XTC-MIF is the Xenopus homologue of mammalian activin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A. J. M. van den Eijnden-Van Raaij, C. H. Koster & A. J. Durston

  2. Department of Cell Biology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    E. J. J. van Zoelent

  3. N.V. Innogenetics S.A., Industriepark Zwijnaarde 7, Box 4, B-9710, Ghent, Belgium

    K. van Nimmen & D. Huylebroeck

  4. Centrum voor Membranen en Lipide Enzymologie, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3985 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    G. T. Snoek

Authors
  1. A. J. M. van den Eijnden-Van Raaij
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  7. D. Huylebroeck
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van den Eijnden-Van Raaij, A., van Zoelent, E., van Nimmen, K. et al. Activin-like factor from a Xenopus laevis cell line responsible for mesoderm induction. Nature 345, 732–734 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345732a0

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