Research report 2003 - Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics

Embryonic patterning via gradients of BMP signaling

Authors
Oelgeschläger, Michael
Departments

Epigenetik (Prof. Dr. Thomas Jenuwein)
MPI für Immunbiologie, Freiburg

Summary
The Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) belong to the TGF-ß family of secreted growth factors and regulate fundamental events in early development of vertebrate as well as invertebrate embryos. In particular, the formation of a functional BMP signalling gradient, established by the localised secretion of BMP antagonists, is essential for the determination of cell fate along the future dorsoventral or back-to-belly body axis. Michale Oelgeschläger and his team have identified a number of new genes that are regulated by the BMP signalling gradient in Xenopus laevis. One of these genes is involved in the regulation of cellular movements rather than cell fate determination and might help to unravel the relationship of cellular movements and cell fate determination during early embryonic development.

For the full text, see the German version.

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