Xenopus FK 506-binding protein, a novel immunophilin expressed during early development

FK 506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are a family of cytosolic proteins identified by virtue of their ability to bind the immunosuppressants FK 506 and rapamycin. While their function has been extensively studied in the immune system, little is known about their role during early embryonic development. Here we describe the cloning and expression of a new Xenopus FKBP (xFKBP). xFKBP encodes a 63-kDa protein that shares high sequence homology with mouse FKBP65. It is expressed maternally and becomes restricted after the gastrula stage to dorsal mesoderm and notochord. At the tailbud stage expression persists in the notochord and begins to accumulate in epidermis, branchial arches and developing somites. In adults, xFKBP mRNA is confined to the testis.