The novel peptide HEADY specifies apical fate in a simple radially symmetric metazoan.

ABSTRACT: One of the first steps in animal development is axis formation, during which an uneven distribution of signals and/or transcription factors results in the establishment of polarity in the embryo. Hydra, one of the simplest metazoan animals, shows characteristics of a permanent embryo. Even adult polyps have a striking capacity to regenerate, suggesting that molecular mechanisms underlying de novo pattern formation are permanently active and self regulatory. Here we show that HEADY, a short, amidated peptide, plays a central role in the specification of apical fate in this simple metazoan. The HEADY gene, whose transcripts accumulate at the apical organizing center, is required for specification of apical fate, as disruption of HEADY function by dsRNA mediated interference (RNAi) results in

SUBMITTER: Lohmann JU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC317037 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature