Cerberus is a head-inducing secreted factor expressed in the anterior endoderm of Spemann's organizer.
An abundant cDNA enriched in Spemann's organizer, cerberus, was isolated by differential screening. It encodes a secreted protein that is expressed in the anterior endomesoderm. Microinjection of cerberus mRNA into Xenopus embryos induces ectopic heads, and duplicated hearts and livers. The results suggest a role for a molecule expressed in the anterior endoderm in the induction of head structures in the vertebrate embryo.
Bouwmeester
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T
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095-1737, USA.
Kim
S
S
Sasai
Y
Y
Lu
B
B
De Robertis
E M
EM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000637:transplantation; D016764:Cell Polarity; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004064:Digestive System / Q000196:embryology; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology; D005775:Gastrula / Q000502:physiology*; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013623:Tail / Q000196:embryology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C100866:cer1 protein, Xenopus