Xenbase Image ID: 76440

Fig. 8. Model for regulation of ectodermal competence. (A) Genes that promote non-neural competence, including Dlx3 and GATA2 (orange), and those that promote non-neural competence, probably including Sox3 (green), cross-repress each others transcription (1, broken lines indicate indirect effects). Expression of non-neural competence genes is initially dependent on BMP signaling (2). In the presence of BMP, transcription of non-neural competence genes is therefore promoted over neural competence genes, whereas the reverse is true in the absence of BMP. However, persistent expression of these genes may lead to their autoactivation (3), thereby making their expression resilient to repression and BMP independent. Neural competence factors promote transcription of neural plate genes (4) or, in the presence of additional signals such as BMP, Wnt and FGF (5), neural crest genes. Non-neural competence factors promote transcription of epidermal genes (6) or, in the presence of additional signals such as BMP inhibitors, FGFs and Wnt inhibitors (7), panplacodal and placodal genes. (B) Owing to the dorsal secretion of BMP antagonists and crossrepressive interactions among competence genes, their initially overlapping expression domains will resolve into two distinct territories over time (t). Image published in: Pieper M et al. (2012) Copyright © 2012. Image reproduced with permission of the publisher and the copyright holder. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Larger Image Printer Friendly View

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