GPx3 controls posterior development via regulation of cell death during Xenopus embryogenesis

Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) is an antioxidant defense enzyme in multicellular organisms and plays a role in tumor progression and metastasis as well as liver and heart diseases. However, the physiological significance of GPx3 in vertebrate embryonic development remains poorly understood. The current study aimed to investigate the functional roles of gpx3 during embryogenesis. To this end, we determined the spatiotemporal expression of gpx3 using Xenopus laevis as a model organism. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), we demonstrated the zygotic nature of this gene and its spatial expression in the tail region of developing embryos. Although gpx3 knockdown resulted in short post-anal tails, gpx3 depletion did not alter the expression of early tailbud genes. However, the genes associated with the Wnt, Notch, and Fgf signaling pathways were remarkably downregulated in gpx3 morphants. Using RNA sequencing, we identified that gpx3 plays a role in apoptotic regulation in the tail regions of the developing embryos.