Isolation of a vasa Homolog from Tree Frog Feihyla palpebralis and Its Germline Specific Expression

Vasa, an RNA binding protein with an ATP-dependent helicase domain, is one of the critical germ cell factors. In this study, we reported cloning of a full-length vasa cDNA from tree frog F. palpebralis . The predicated F. palpebralis Vasa shares eight conserved regions with Vasa proteins from other vertebrates. Furthermore, we confirmed germline specific expression of the vasa RNA by RT-qPCR. These results suggest that vasa is involveed in germ cell specification in F. palpebralis. Our observation provides a new tool to study germ cell formation in amphibians.