Cerberus-like is a secreted factor with neutralizing activity expressed in the anterior primitive endoderm of the mouse gastrula.
We report the isolation of mouse cerberus-like (cer-l), a gene encoding a novel secreted protein that is specifically expressed in the anterior visceral endoderm during early gastrulation. Expression in the primitive endoderm starts before the appearance of the primitive streak and lasts until the head-fold stage. In later stages, a second region of expression is found in newly formed somites. Mouse cer-l shares some sequence similarity with Xenopus cerberus (Xcer). In Xenopus assays cer-l, like Xcer, mRNA acts as a potent neuralizing factor that induces forebrain markers and endoderm, but is unable to induce ectopic head-like structures as Xcer does. In addition to cer-l, anterior visceral endoderm was found to express the transcription factors Lim1, goosecoid and HNF-3beta that are also present in trunk organizer cells. A model of how head and trunk development might be regulated is discussed. Given its neuralizing activity, the secreted protein Cer-l is a candidate for mediating inductive activities of anterior visceral endoderm.
Belo
J A
JA
Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1662, USA.
Bouwmeester
T
T
Leyns
L
L
Kertesz
N
N
Gallo
M
M
Follettie
M
M
De Robertis
E M
EM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005775:Gastrula / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008845:Microinjections; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000072056:Transcription Factor HES-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000072056:Transcription Factor HES-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C110586:Cer1 protein, mouse; C496503:Foxa2 protein, mouse; C489734:Hes1 protein, mouse; C543964:Lhx1 protein, Xenopus; C499523:Lhx1 protein, mouse; C100866:cer1 protein, Xenopus