Early activation of FGF and nodal pathways mediates cardiac specification independently of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cardiac induction, the first step in heart development in vertebrate embryos, is thought to be initiated by anterior endoderm during gastrulation, but what the signals are and how they act is unknown. Several signaling pathways, including FGF, Nodal, BMP and Wnt have been implicated in cardiac specification, in both gain- and loss-of-function experiments. However, as these pathways regulate germ layer formation and patterning, their specific roles in cardiac induction have been difficult to define.

Methodology/principal findings

To investigate the mechanisms of cardiac induction directly we devised an assay based on conjugates of anterior endoderm from early gastrula stage Xenopus embryos as the inducing tissue and pluripotent ectodermal explants as the responding

SUBMITTER: Samuel LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2763344 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature