XCIRP (Xenopus homolog of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein) is expressed transiently in developing pronephros and neural tissue.

The pronephros functions in the amphibian larval stage. It differentiates in certain presumptive regions of the amphibian embryo. The study of molecules functioning during pronephrogenesis is important for understanding the mechanism of kidney formation. Herein, we report a gene expressed during differentiation of the pronephros and neural tissues that we isolated by differential hybridization using our pronephros in-vitro induction system. The gene, XCIRP, is 887bp in length, and encodes a putative protein composed of 163 amino acid residues. The deduced protein contains two CS-RBDs (consensus sequence RNA-binding domain) and a glycine-rich domain, and is 74% identical to homologs from other species (mouse, rat and human). The expression of XCIRP increased rapidly during gastrulation, and XCIRP localization was seen in the presumptive pronephros and neural tissues. These findings suggest that XCIRP may play important roles in pronephrogenesis and neurogenesis.