New regulatory circuit controlling spatial and temporal gene expression in the sea urchin embryo oral ectoderm GRN.

ABSTRACT: The sea urchin oral ectoderm gene regulatory network (GRN) model has increased in complexity as additional genes are added to it, revealing its multiple spatial regulatory state domains. The formation of the oral ectoderm begins with an oral-aboral redox gradient, which is interpreted by the cis-regulatory system of the nodal gene to cause its expression on the oral side of the embryo. Nodal signaling drives cohorts of regulatory genes within the oral ectoderm and its derived subdomains. Activation of these genes occurs sequentially, spanning the entire blastula stage. During this process the stomodeal subdomain emerges inside of the oral ectoderm, and bilateral subdomains defining the lateral portions of the future ciliary band emerge adjacent to the central oral ectoderm. Here we examine

SUBMITTER: Li E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3783610 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature