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BMP regulates vegetal pole induction centres in early Xenopus development
Author(s) -
Nachaliel Nira,
Re'emKalma Yael,
Eshed Orna,
Elias Sarah,
Frank Dale
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2443.1998.00218.x
Subject(s) - mesoderm , ectoderm , biology , fgf and mesoderm formation , microbiology and biotechnology , xenopus , ectopic expression , lateral plate mesoderm , polarity in embryogenesis , nodal , endoderm , embryo , embryogenesis , gastrulation , anatomy , genetics , cellular differentiation , embryonic stem cell , cell culture , gene
Background Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) plays an important role in mesoderm patterning in Xenopus . The ectopic expression of BMP‐4 protein hyperventralizes embryos, whereas embryos expressing a BMP‐2/4 dominant‐negative receptor (DNR) are hyperdorsalized. Mesoderm is initially induced in the marginal zone by cells in the underlying vegetal pole. While much is known about BMP's expression and role in patterning the marginal zone, little is known about its early role in regulating vegetal mesoderm induction centre formation. Results The role of BMP in regulating formation of vegetal mesoderm inducing centres during early Xenopus development was examined. Ectopic BMP‐4 expression in vegetal pole cells inhibited dorsal mesoderm induction but increased ventral mesoderm induction when recombined with animal cap ectoderm in Nieuwkoop explants. 32‐cell embryos injected with BMP‐4 RNA in the most vegetal blastomere tier were not hyperdorsalized by LiCl treatment. The ectopic expression of Smad or Mix.1 proteins in the vegetal pole also inhibited dorsal mesoderm induction in explants and embryos. Expression of the BMP 2/4 DNR in the vegetal pole increased dorsal mesoderm induction and inhibited ventral mesoderm induction in explants and embryos. Conclusions These results support a role for BMP signalling in regulating ventral vegetal and dorsal vegetal mesoderm induction centre formation during early Xenopus development.