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Regulation of Actin Gene Expression during Sea Urchin Development

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The Molecular Biology of Cell Determination and Cell Differentiation

Part of the book series: Developmental Biology ((DEBO,volume 5))

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Abstract

Differentiation of the early embryo results from the orchestration of a complex series of molecular and cellular events. To dissect and understand this process, it can be useful to focus on a subset of these events, which may yield a detailed and understandable set of observations and relationships. The examination of actin gene expression in the sea urchin embryo is an excellent example of a focused molecular analysis that is yielding information that may have general significance for understanding embryonic development. Interpretation of this kind of analysis in the sea urchin can be particularly informative because of the availability of a large literature characterizing the events of early development, including a description of the embryonic cell lineages (Hörstadius, 1939). In this animal, the opportunity thus exists to view the molecular details of the expression of these genes within the context of the morphological changes that occur within the embryo. In the broadest sense, the goals of this work are to understand how the regulation of expression of these genes as well as the functions of the proteins they encode influence, or are influenced by, determination and induction in the developing embryo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cell Biology Group, Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 01545, USA

    William R. Crain Jr.

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  1. William R. Crain Jr.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Leon W. Browder

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© 1988 Plenum Press, New York

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Crain, W.R. (1988). Regulation of Actin Gene Expression during Sea Urchin Development. In: Browder, L.W. (eds) The Molecular Biology of Cell Determination and Cell Differentiation. Developmental Biology, vol 5. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6817-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6817-9_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-6819-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-6817-9

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