Ectodermal Syndecan-2 Mediates Left-Right Axis Formation in Migrating Mesoderm as a Cell-Nonautonomous Vg1 Cofactor

• Published in: Developmental cell Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 115 - 124
• Main Authors: Kramer, Kenneth L., Yost, H.Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2002
• Subjects: Activin Receptors, Type I - metabolism; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cell Movement - physiology; Digestive System - embryology; Ectoderm - metabolism; Freshwater; Gastrula - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Heart - embryology; Heparitin Sulfate - metabolism; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Mesoderm - cytology; Molecular Sequence Data; Proteins; Proteoglycans - genetics; Proteoglycans - metabolism; Signal Transduction - physiology; Situs Inversus - embryology; Syndecan-2; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Vg1 protein; Xenopus; Xenopus Proteins; Zebrafish Proteins
• ISSN: 1534-5807; 1878-1551
• DOI: 10.1016/S1534-5807(01)00107-1

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans expressed on the Xenopus animal cap ectoderm have been implicated in transmitting left-right information to heart and gut primordia. We report here that syndecan-2 functions in the ectoderm to mediate cardiac and visceral situs, upstream of known asymmetrically expressed genes but independently of its ability to mediate fibronectin fibrillogenesis. Left-right development is dependent on a distinct subset of glycosaminoglycan attachment sites on syndecan-2. A novel in vivo approach with enterokinase demonstrates that syndecan-2 functions in left-right patterning during early gastrulation. We describe a cell-nonautonomous role for ectodermal syndecan-2 in transmitting left-right information to migrating mesoderm. The results further suggest that this function may be related to the transduction of Vg1-related signals.