Premium
Molecular approaches to the study of mesoderm formation in amphibians
Author(s) -
Brennan Sean
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950060203
Subject(s) - mesoderm , endoderm , gastrulation , ectoderm , nodal , fgf and mesoderm formation , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , paraxial mesoderm , germ layer , lateral plate mesoderm , embryogenesis , embryo , embryonic stem cell , anatomy , genetics , gene , induced pluripotent stem cell
The mesoderm is the region of the embryo that gives rise to muscle, blood and connective tissues; it becomes segregated from the ectoderm and endoderm at gastrulation. Embryological studies have revealed, however, that the potential for certain embryonic cells to become part of the mesoderm is established well before gastrulation, most likely through an extracellular signalling process termed ‘induction’. The recent characterization of mesoderm‐specific mRNAs and proteins now permits an analysis of the very earliest events involved in the specification of the mesoderm at the molecular level. Such experiments should contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms involved in controlling cell differentiation.