Specification of the Zebrafish Nervous System by Nonaxial Signals

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 277; no. 5323; pp. 254 - 257
• Main Authors: Woo, Katherine, Fraser, Scott E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 11.07.1997; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Anatomy; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Patterning; Cell Transplantation; Company growth; Danio rerio; Developmental neurology; DNA-Binding Proteins - biosynthesis; Early Growth Response Protein 2; Early stages. Segmentation. Gastrulation. Neurulation; Ectoderm - cytology; Ectoderm - physiology; Ectoderm - transplantation; Embryogenesis; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryos; Endoderm - cytology; Endoderm - physiology; Endoderm - transplantation; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - pharmacology; Fish; Forebrain; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrula - physiology; Growth; Hindbrain; Mesencephalon - embryology; Mesoderm - cytology; Mesoderm - physiology; Mesoderm - transplantation; Morphogenesis; Nerve tissue; Nervous system; Neurons; Progenitor cells; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Rhombencephalon - embryology; Stem Cells - physiology; Tissue grafting; Tissue transplantation; Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; Transplantation; Zebrafish - embryology; Zoology; Morphogenesis; Embryonic development; Vertebrata; Brachydanio rerio; Embryo; Pisces; Gastrula; Organizing center; Central nervous system; Early stage; Nervous system; Embryonic induction
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5323.254

The organizer of the amphibian gastrula provides the neurectoderm with both neuralizing and posteriorizing (transforming) signals. In zebrafish, transplantations show that a spatially distinct transformer signal emanates from tissues other than the organizer. Cells of the germring (nonaxial mesendoderm) posteriorized forebrain progenitors when grafted nearby, resulting in an ectopic hindbrain-like structure; in contrast, cells of the organizer (axial mesendoderm) caused no posterior transformation. Local application of basic fibroblast growth factor, a candidate transformer in Xenopus, caused malformation but not hindbrain transformation in the forebrain. Thus, the zebrafish gastrula may integrate spatially distinct signals from the organizer and the germring to pattern the neural axis.