title: Activin as a morphogen in Xenopus mesoderm induction.
abstract: Activin, a member of the Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily, can behave as a morphogen in cells of the early Xenopus embryo by inducing a range of mesodermal genes in a concentration-dependent manner. This review examines the behaviour of activin as it forms a morphogen gradient. It also discusses how a cell can perceive its position in a concentration gradient in order to activate appropriate mesodermal gene responses.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome/CRC Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gurdon
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D004058:Diffusion; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D008024:Ligands; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins