Genome-wide binding pattern of β-catenin during Xenopus gastrulation

The canonical Wnt/β-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 β-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/β-catenin signaling pathway using a genome-wide approach. Xenopus laevis emrbyos were injected with a triple FLAG tagged beta-catenin at levels that did not effect phenotype. Pools of about 500 embryos were fixed for ChIP processing. An input sample was taken prior to immunoprecipitation with a Flag antibody. Both input and ChIP material were used to make sequencing libraries.