Nature February 25, 1999; 397 (6721): 707-10.

The head inducer Cerberus is a multifunctional antagonist of Nodal, BMP and Wnt signals.

Abstract
Embryological and genetic evidence indicates that the vertebrate head is induced by a different set of signals from those that organize trunk-tail development. The gene cerberus encodes a secreted protein that is expressed in anterior endoderm and has the unique property of inducing ectopic heads in the absence of trunk structures. Here we show that the cerberus protein functions as a multivalent growth-factor antagonist in the extracellular space: it binds to Nodal, BMP and Wnt proteins via independent sites. The expression of cerberus during gastrulation is activated by earlier nodal-related signals in endoderm and by Spemann-organizer factors that repress signalling by BMP and Wnt. In order for the head territory to form, we propose that signals involved in trunk development, such as those involving BMP, Wnt and Nodal proteins, must be inhibited in rostral regions.

PubMed ID: 10067895
PMC ID: PMC2323273
Article link: Nature
Grant support: [+]
Genes referenced: cer1 nodal nodal1

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