Temporal and spatial requirements for Nodal-induced anterior mesendoderm and mesoderm in anterior neurulation.

ABSTRACT: Zebrafish with defective Nodal signaling have a phenotype analogous to the fatal human birth defect anencephaly, which is caused by an open anterior neural tube. Previous work in our laboratory found that anterior open neural tube phenotypes in Nodal signaling mutants were caused by lack of mesendodermal/mesodermal tissues. Defects in these mutants are already apparent at neural plate stage, before the neuroepithelium starts to fold into a tube. Consistent with this, we found that the requirement for Nodal signaling maps to mid-late blastula stages. This timing correlates with the timing of prechordal plate mesendoderm and anterior mesoderm induction, suggesting these tissues act to promote neurulation. To further identify tissues important for neurulation, we took advantage of the variabl

SUBMITTER: Gonsar N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5515471 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature