The response of early neural genes to FGF signaling or inhibition of BMP indicate the absence of a conserved neural induction module.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The molecular mechanism that initiates the formation of the vertebrate central nervous system has long been debated. Studies in Xenopus and mouse demonstrate that inhibition of BMP signaling is sufficient to induce neural tissue in explants or ES cells respectively, whereas studies in chick argue that instructive FGF signaling is also required for the expression of neural genes. Although additional signals may be involved in neural induction and patterning, here we focus on the roles of BMP inhibition and FGF8a.

Results

To address the question of necessity and sufficiency of BMP inhibition and FGF signaling, we compared the temporal expression of the five earliest genes expressed in the neuroectoderm and determined their requirements for induction at the onset of

SUBMITTER: Rogers CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3271986 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature