Depletion of Three BMP Antagonists from Spemann's Organizer Leads to a Catastrophic Loss of Dorsal Structures

• Published in: Developmental cell Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 401 - 411
• Main Authors: Khokha, Mustafa K., Yeh, Joanna, Grammer, Timothy C., Harland, Richard M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, MA Elsevier Inc 01.03.2005; Cell Press
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Patterning - physiology; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Carrier Proteins; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell physiology; Female; Follistatin - genetics; Follistatin - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrula - cytology; Gastrula - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glycoproteins - genetics; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Male; Mesoderm - cytology; Mesoderm - metabolism; Molecular and cellular biology; Organizers, Embryonic - cytology; Organizers, Embryonic - metabolism; Proteins - genetics; Proteins - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Xenopus - embryology; Xenopus - metabolism; Xenopus Proteins - genetics; Xenopus Proteins - metabolism; Xenopus tropicalis; Development; Depletion; Antagonist
• ISSN: 1534-5807; 1878-1551
• DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2005.01.013

Transplanted Spemann’s organizer induces dorsal embryonic cell fates such as the nervous system and somites, but in normal development, elimination of individual organizer signals (such as the bone morphogenetic protein [BMP] antagonists) has surprisingly modest effects on these tissues. Thus, the role of BMP antagonists may be limited to fine tuning the size of the dorsal domain. However, at least five BMP antagonists are specifically expressed in the organizer, and all can mimic aspects of organizer function, suggesting overlapping functions. Here, we deplete the function of three BMP antagonists, chordin, noggin, and follistatin, in Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that this results in catastrophic failure of dorsal development and expansion of ventral and posterior fates. We conclude that BMP antagonists are required for formation of the neural plate and dorsal mesoderm. In addition, our results show that neural specification requires the continuous activity of BMP antagonists from blastula through gastrula stages.