Transcriptome analysis of Wnt knockdown embryos reveals candidate canonical Wnt/ß-catenin target genes during Xenopus laevis gastrulation

The canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway plays multiple roles during Xenopus gastrulation, including posteriorization of the neural plate, patterning of the mesoderm, and induction of the neural crest. Wnt signaling stabilizes ß-catenin, which then activates target genes. However, few targets of this signaling pathway that mediate early developmental processes are known. Here we sought to identify transcriptional targets of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway using a genome-wide approach. Overall design: Total RNA was extracted from a single uninjected control and a single dkk injected embryo from the same mating and used to make sequencing libraries. There are three replicates, each pair from a different mating pair.