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Bmp signaling is necessary and sufficient for ventrolateral endoderm specification in Xenopus

  1. Andrea Wills2,
  2. Kari Dickinson1,
  3. Mustafa Khokha3,
  4. Julie C. Baker1,*

Article first published online: 23 JUL 2008

DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21631

Issue

Developmental Dynamics

Developmental Dynamics

Special Issue: Special Focus on the Primary Cilium

Volume 237, Issue 8, pages 2177–2186, August 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wills, A., Dickinson, K., Khokha, M. and Baker, J. C. (2008), Bmp signaling is necessary and sufficient for ventrolateral endoderm specification in Xenopus. Dev. Dyn., 237: 2177–2186. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.21631

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Genetics, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California

  2. 2

    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California

  3. 3

    Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

*Genetics Department, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, MC 5120, Stanford, CA 94062

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 JUL 2008
  2. Article first published online: 23 JUL 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 17 MAY 2008

Funded by

  • Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health. Grant Number: R01 HD41557

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Keywords:

  • Bmp;
  • endoderm;
  • Xenopus;
  • ventrolateral;
  • TGFβ

Abstract

Here we show that Bmp signaling is necessary and sufficient for the specification of ventral endoderm in Xenopus embryos. Overexpression of Bmp4 in ectoderm induces markers of endoderm, including Sox17β, Mixer, and VegT, but cannot induce the expression of the dorsoanterior markers, Xhex and Cerberus. Furthermore, knockdown approaches using overexpression of Bmp antagonists and morpholinos designed against Bmp4, Bmp2, and Bmp7 demonstrate that Bmp signaling is critical for ventral, but not dorsoanterior endoderm formation. This activity is not simply a result of embryonic dorsalization as markers for dorsal endoderm are not expanded. We further show that endodermal cells of either ventral or dorsal character do not form when both Wnt and Bmp signals are abolished. Overall, this report strongly suggests that Bmp plays an essential role in ventral endoderm specification. Developmental Dynamics 237:2177–2186, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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