Abstract
Rho GTPases play central roles in the control of cell adhesion and migration, cell cycle progression, growth, and differentiation. However, although most of our knowledge of Rho GTPase function comes from the study of the three classic Rho GTPases RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42, recent studies have begun to explore the expression, regulation, and function of some of the lesser-known members of the Rho GTPase family. In the present study, we cloned the avian orthologues of RhoV (or Chp for Cdc42 homologous protein) and RhoU (or Wrch-1 for Wnt-regulated Cdc42 homolog-1) and examined their expression patterns by in situ hybridization analysis both during early chick embryogenesis and later on, during gastrointestinal tract development. Our data show that both GTPases are detected in the primitive streak, the somites, the neural crest cells, and the gastrointestinal tract with distinct territories and/or temporal expression windows. Although both proteins are 90% identical, our results indicate that cRhoV and cRhoU are distinctly expressed during chicken embryonic development.