title: Suramin prevents transcription of dorsal marker genes in Xenopus laevis embryos, isolated dorsal blastopore lips and activin A induced animal caps.
abstract: Suramin, a polyanionic compound which is known to interact with the receptors of growth factors inhibits the expression of dorsal marker genes in whole embryos and isolated dorsal blastopore lips. Suramin also prevents activin A induced dorsalization of animal cap explants from blastula stage embryos, but it simultaneously evokes a shift of the differentiation pattern from dorsal mesodermal structures (notochord, somites) to ventral mesodermal derivatives (mesothelium and erythroid precursor cells). The results are consistent with the assumption that the dorsal vegetal zone (Nieuwkoop center) primarily releases more general/ventral mesodermalization signals. They further suggest a dual role of activin A in early embryogenesis. While the maternal component may contribute to a more general/ventral type of induction, increasing concentrations of the zygotic component along with the activation of primary response genes may contribute to the dorsalization of the organizer.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Biochemie, Universität Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oschwald
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knöchel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grunz
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005775:Gastrula / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005819:Genetic Markers; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007265:Inhibins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000187:drug effects; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D013498:Suramin