Expression of Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase α‐Subunit in Animalized and Vegetalized Embryos of the Sea Urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus.

A marked increase in the Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase activity of sea urchin embryos occurred following an elevation of its mRNA level, revealed by Northern blotting analysis, in developmental period between the swimming blastula and the late gastrula stage. cDNA clone of Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase α‐subunit, obtained from γgt10 cDNA library of sea urchin gastrulae, was digested with EcoRl ad Hindlll. The obtained 268 bp cDNA fragment, hybridized to a 4.6 Kb RNA, was used as probe for Northern blotting analysis. The level of Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase mRNA was higher in embryo‐wall cell fraction isolated from late gastrulae (ectoderm cells) than the level in the bag fraction, containing mesenchyme cells (mesoderm cells) and archenteron (endoderm cells). The activity of Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase and the level of its mRNA were higher in animalized embryos obtained by pulse treatment with A23187 for 3 hr, starting at the 8–16 cell stage and were considerably lower in vegetalized embryos induced by 3 hr treatment with Li⁺ than that in normal embryos at the post gastrula corresponidng stage. Augmentation of Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase gene expression can be regarded as a marker for ectoderm cell differentiation at the post gastrula stage, which results from determination of cell fate in prehatching period.