PUBLICATION

The zebrafish Nodal signal Squint functions as a morphogen

Authors
Chen, Y. and Schier, A.F.
ID
ZDB-PUB-010601-1
Date
2001
Source
Nature   411(6837): 607-610 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Chen, Yu, Schier, Alexander
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Nodal Protein
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Body Patterning/physiology*
  • Nodal Signaling Ligands
  • Animals
  • Mesoderm/physiology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • T-Box Domain Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins*
  • Fetal Proteins
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Morphogenesis
  • Cell Communication
  • Zebrafish
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta/physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
PubMed
11385578 Full text @ Nature
Abstract
Secreted morphogens induce distinct cellular responses in a concentration-dependent manner and act directly at a distance. The existence of morphogens during mesoderm induction and patterning in vertebrates has been highly controversial, and it remains unknown whether endogenous mesoderm inducers act directly as morphogens, function locally or act through relay mechanisms. Here we test the morphogen properties of Cyclops and Squint-two Nodal-related transforming growth factor-beta signals required for mesoderm formation and patterning in zebrafish. Whereas different levels of both Squint and Cyclops can induce different downstream genes, we find that only Squint can function directly at a distance. These results indicate that Squint acts as a secreted morphogen that does not require a relay mechanism.
Errata / Notes
Erratum in: Nature 2001 Aug 2;412(6846):566.
In Fig. 1 of this Letter, panels h, m and p were incorrectly labelled.
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