Regionally specific induction by the Spemann-Mangold organizer

• Published in: Nature reviews. Genetics Vol. 5; no. 6; pp. 425 - 434
• Main Author: Niehrs, Christof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01-06-2004
• Subjects: Amphibia; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Patterning; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - metabolism; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell physiology; Embryonic Induction - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Growth Substances - metabolism; Models, Biological; Molecular and cellular biology; Nodal Protein; Organizers, Embryonic - embryology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Signal Transduction - physiology; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Wnt Proteins; Zebrafish Proteins; Embryonic development; Induction; Amphibia; Gene expression; Chenopodiaceae; Beta vulgaris var. cicla; Morphogenesis; Vertebrata; Regulation(control); Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Growth factor
• ISSN: 1471-0056; 1471-0064
• DOI: 10.1038/nrg1347

Eighty years ago, Spemann and Mangold discovered the extraordinary inductive potency of the dorsal blastopore lip in amphibian embryos. Many inducers released by this organizer have now been identified and they typically encode antagonists of bone morphogenetic protein, Nodal or Wnt growth factors. The different expression domains of these growth factors and their antagonists create signalling gradients, which pattern the early embryo in a combinatorial fashion and explain the regional specificities of head, trunk and tail organizers. New findings indicate that both quantitative and qualitative mechanisms account for regionally specific organizer function.