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A novel Xenopus Smad-interacting forkhead transcription factor (XFast-3) cooperates with XFast-1 in regulating gastrulation movements

Laboratory of Developmental Signalling, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK

*Author for correspondence (e-mail: caroline.hill{at}cancer.org.uk)

Accepted 28 March 2002

In early Xenopus embryos, the prototypical XFast-1/Smad2/Smad4 complex ARF1 is induced at the Mix.2 ARE by activin overexpression. We have characterised ARF2, a related, but much more abundant, complex formed during gastrulation in response to endogenous TGFß family members and we have identified a novel Fast family member, XFast-3, as its transcription factor component. Endogenous ARF2 efficiently competes out ARF1 at early gastrulation, due to the ability of XFast-3 to interact with activated Smads with much higher affinity than XFast-1. We demonstrate that ARF1 and ARF2 are activated by distinct TGFß family members. Using morpholino antisense oligonucleotides to deplete levels of the constituent transcription factors XFast-1 and XFast-3 specifically, we demonstrate an important role for ARF1 and ARF2 in early Xenopus embryos in controlling the convergent extension movements of gastrulation.

Key words: Fast, Forkhead/winged helix, Gastrulation, Smad, TGFß signalling, Xenopus