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Axes establishment during eye morphogenesis in Xenopus by coordinate and antagonistic actions of BMP4, Shh, and RA
Author(s) -
Sasagawa Satoru,
Takabatake Takashi,
Takabatake Yuka,
Muramatsu Tatsuo,
Takeshima Kazuhito
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/gene.10095
Subject(s) - retinoic acid , sonic hedgehog , xenopus , optic vesicle , noggin , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , bone morphogenetic protein 4 , morphogen , fgf8 , coloboma , optic cup (embryology) , morphogenesis , anatomy , endocrinology , eye development , genetics , embryonic stem cell , gene , transcription factor , fibroblast growth factor , signal transduction , bone morphogenetic protein , receptor
Summary: We have examined the roles of BMP4, Shh, and retinoic acid in establishing the proximal‐distal and dorsal‐ventral axes in the developing Xenopus eye. Misexpression of BMP4 caused the absence of an optic stalk and the expansion of dorsal and distal markers, tbx2/3/5 , and pax6 , at the expense of ventral and proximal markers vax2 and pax2 . When Shh or Noggin, an antagonist of BMPs, was misexpressed, the reverse expression patterns of these marker genes were observed. These results suggest that BMP4 is involved in the specification of not only dorsal in the optic cup but also distal in the optic vesicle. Because Shh did not suppress bmp4 expression, unlike Noggin, Shh and BMP4 may antagonistically regulate common downstream genes in developing eye. We also found the difference between the effects of Shh and retinoic acid, another possible ventralizing factor, suggesting that Shh could promote ventralization independently of retinoic acid. These findings provide important clues to the coordinate and antagonistic actions of BMP4, Shh, and retinoic acid in axes specifications of Xenopus eyes. genesis 33:86–96, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.