title: Requirement for anti-dorsalizing morphogenetic protein in organizer patterning.
abstract: The amphibian Spemann organizer is subdivided in trunk and head organizer and it is unclear how this division is regulated. The Xenopus trunk organizer expresses anti-dorsalizing morphogenetic protein (ADMP), a potent organizer antagonist. We show that ADMP represses head formation during gastrulation and that its expression is activated by BMP antagonists. A specifically acting dominant-negative ADMP anteriorizes embryos and its coexpression with BMP antagonists induces secondary embryonic axes with heads as well as expression of head inducers. Unlike other BMPs, ADMP is not inhibited by a dominant-negative BMP type I receptor, Noggin, Cerberus and Chordin but by Follistatin, suggesting that it utilizes a distinct TGF-beta receptor pathway and displays differential sensitivity to BMP antagonists. The results indicate that ADMP functions in the trunk organizer to antagonize head formation, thereby regulating organizer patterning.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Embryology, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dosch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niehrs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009024:Morphogenesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D015053:Zygote; D000099176:Noggin Protein; D000099274:Frizzled-Related Proteins
chemical_list: D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein; D000099274:Frizzled-Related Proteins; C499591:admp protein, Xenopus; C110182:dkk1 protein, Xenopus; C501128:dkk1b protein, zebrafish; C054234:chordin