A truncated bone morphogenetic protein receptor affects dorsal-ventral patterning in the early Xenopus embryo.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily, have been implicated in bone formation and the regulation of early development. To better understand the roles of BMPs in Xenopus laevis embryogenesis, we have cloned a cDNA coding for a serine/threonine kinase receptor that binds BMP-2 and BMP-4. To analyze its function, we attempted to block the BMP signaling pathway in Xenopus embryos by using a dominant-negative mutant of the BMP receptor. When the mutant receptor lacking the putative serine/threonine kinase domain was expressed in ventral blastomeres of Xenopus embryos, these blastomeres were respecified to dorsal mesoderm, eventually resulting in the formation of a secondary body axis. These findings suggest that endogenous BMP-2 and BMP-4 are involved in the dorsal-ventral specification in the embryo and that ventral fate requires induction rather than resulting from an absence of dorsal specification.
Suzuki
A
A
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Thies
R S
RS
Yamaji
N
N
Song
J J
JJ
Wozney
J M
JM
Murakami
K
K
Ueno
N
N
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000502:physiology; D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D006133:Growth Substances; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors