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FGF signaling enhances a sonic hedgehog negative feedback loop at the initiation of spinal cord ventral patterning
Author(s) -
Morales Aixa V.,
EspesoGil Sergio,
Ocaña Inmaculada,
NietoLopez Francisco,
Calleja Elena,
Bovolenta Paola,
Lewandoski Mark,
Diez del Corral Ruth
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
developmental neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.716
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1932-846X
pISSN - 1932-8451
DOI - 10.1002/dneu.22368
Subject(s) - sonic hedgehog , biology , fgf and mesoderm formation , fibroblast growth factor , patched , microbiology and biotechnology , context (archaeology) , signal transduction , neuroscience , hedgehog signaling pathway , gastrulation , receptor , embryo , genetics , embryogenesis , paleontology
A prevalent developmental mechanism for the assignment of cell identities is the production of spatiotemporal concentration gradients of extracellular signaling molecules that are interpreted by the responding cells. One of such signaling systems is the Shh gradient that controls neuronal subtype identity in the ventral spinal cord. Using loss and gain of function approaches in chick and mouse embryos, we show here that the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway is required to restrict the domains of ventral gene expression as neuroepithelial cells become exposed to Shh during caudal extension of the embryo. FGF signaling activates the expression of the Shh receptor and negative pathway regulator Patched 2 (Ptch2 ) and therefore can enhance a negative feedback loop that restrains the activity of the pathway. Thus, we identify one of the mechanisms by which FGF signaling acts as a modulator of the onset of Shh signaling activity in the context of coordination of ventral patterning and caudal axis extension. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 956–971, 2016