Morphogen gradients: nodal enters the stage.
Morphogen gradients are proposed to organise cell fates during development via the long-range activity of secreted molecules. Their existence in vertebrates, however, has been debated. A recent study has identified the Nodal-related protein Squint as a bona fide morphogen in vertebrate mesoderm.
Kodjabachian
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Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie du Développement, CNRS/INSERM/Université de la Mediterranée, Campus Scientifique de Luminy, Case 907, 13288 Marseille 09, Cedex, France. kodja@ibdm.univ-mrs.fr
D000818:Animals; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D055456:Nodal Signaling Ligands; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D055456:Nodal Signaling Ligands; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C485171:ndr1 protein, zebrafish; C110484:tdgf1 protein, zebrafish; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor