XB-ART-13418
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:
[+]
Species referenced:
Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced:
cer1
nodal
nodal1
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