Open AccessNodal signaling has dual roles in fate specification and directed migration during germ layer segregation
Author(s) -
Zairan Liu,
Stephanie Woo,
Orion D. Weiner
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.15
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1477-9129
pISSN - 0950-1991
DOI - 10.1242/dev.163535
Subject(s) - biology , nodal signaling , germ layer , nodal , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , dual (grammatical number) , genetics , gene , embryonic stem cell , gastrulation , embryogenesis , embryo , induced pluripotent stem cell , art , literature
During gastrulation, endodermal cells actively migrate to the interior of the embryo, but the signals that initiate and coordinate this migration are poorly understood. By transplanting ectopically-induced endodermal cells far from the normal location of endoderm specification, we identified the inputs that drive internalization without the confounding influences of fate specification and global morphogenic movements. We find that Nodal signaling triggers an autocrine circuit for initiating endodermal internalization. Activation of the Nodal receptor directs endodermal specification through sox32 and also induces expression of more Nodal ligands. These ligands act in an autocrine fashion to initiate endodermal cell sorting. Our work defines an “AND” gate consisting of sox32-dependent endodermal specification and Nodal ligand reception controlling endodermal cell sorting to the inner layer of the embryo at the onset of gastrulation.