Xenopus Germes encodes a novel germ plasm-associated transcript

A cDNA tag specific for the vegetal pole of early Xenopus embryo was used to isolate a novel cDNA using RACE technique. The corresponding mRNA demonstrated a localization pattern typical for the germ plasm-associated messages, and was, therefore, named Germes. The open reading frame of Germes encodes a predicted 68 kDa protein with two leucine zipper motifs and a putative EF-hand domain, but otherwise no substantial homology to known proteins. In situ hybridization analysis shows that Germes transcript localizes to the vegetal cortex via the mitochondrial cloud early in oogenesis and segregates with the germ plasm during early embryogenesis. Our data indicate that Germes is a novel germ plasm-specific RNA.