Heads or tails: Wnts and anterior-posterior patterning.
Cell-cell communication is critical during embryogenesis for organizing the vertebrate body plan. Members of the Wnt family of secreted signaling molecules possess axis-inducing and posteriorizing activity when overexpressed. Wnt signals are modulated extracellularly by a diverse group of secreted Wnt antagonists and cofactors. Recent work has revealed that inhibition of posteriorly localized Wnt signaling by anteriorly localized Wnt antagonists is critical for inducing the anterior structures, forebrain and heart, from neural ectoderm and mesoderm, respectively. This review centers on the role that Wnts and Wnt antagonists play in the patterning of the vertebrate anterior-posterior axis.
Yamaguchi
T P
TP
Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. tyamaguchi@ncifcrf.gov
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
C525809:BMP4 protein, human; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C525813:bmp4 protein, zebrafish