Transcriptional factors smad1 and smad9 act redundantly to mediate zebrafish ventral specification downstream of smad5.

ABSTRACT: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional growth factors that play crucial roles during embryonic development and cell fate determination. Nuclear transduction of BMP signals requires the receptor type Smad proteins, Smad1, Smad5, and Smad9. However, how these Smad proteins cooperate in vivo to regulate various developmental processes is largely unknown. In zebrafish, it was widely believed that the maternally expressed smad5 is essential for dorso-ventral (DV) patterning, and the zygotically transcribed smad1 is not required for normal DV axis establishment. In the present study, we have identified zygotically expressed smad9, which cooperates with smad1 downstream of smad5, to mediate zebrafish early DV patterning in a functional redundant manner. Although knockdown of smad1

SUBMITTER: Wei CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3945323 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature