Accumulated evidence indicates that the activating transcription factor 4 (
atf4) is a developmentally relevant gene. Here, we report on the characterization of
atf4 in
Xenopus
embryos, which is differentially expressed in the central nervous system, eyes, blood, and the pronephros, as well as in developing endodermal organs such as the stomach, duodenum, liver, and pancreas. Ectopic expression of
atf4 in the animal hemisphere of
Xenopus embryos had no obvious effects on the induction of neural progenitors, but suppressed neurogenesis and eye formation without promoting apoptosis. Our data suggest that tightly controlled
atf4 activities may be crucial for normal neurogenesis and early eye patterning.
