title: Goosecoid and cerberus-like do not interact during mouse embryogenesis.
abstract: Mouse Cerberus-like (Cer-l) is a neural inducer molecule, capable of inhibiting Nodal and BMP-4 signals in the extracelular space. The cer-l expression domain in the Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE) and prechordal plate, tissues involved in head induction and patterning, respectively, suggested a role for this gene in head formation. However, animals homozygous for the cer-l null allele failed to show any abnormality, leading us to propose the existence of other factor(s) that might compensate for cer-l loss-of-function. Since goosecoid (gsc) shares some domains of expression with cer-l and was shown to be essential for head morphogenesis, we tested its ability to interact genetically with cer-l. With this aim we generated cer-l;gsc double mutants. These animals were analyzed at birth for skeletal defects and revealed the same phenotype as gsc-/- single mutants. We also investigated the proper patterning of structures adjacent to the prechordal plate by performing in situ hybridization of HNF-3beta, Six-3 and BF-1, genes whose expression domains remained unchanged. In conclusion, the analysis carried out indicated that gsc does not compensate for cer-l loss-of-function and that these genes do not interact genetically.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Belo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D016207:Cytokines; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005838:Genotype; D051956:Goosecoid Protein; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; C110586:Cer1 protein, mouse; D016207:Cytokines; D051956:Goosecoid Protein; C497993:Gsc protein, mouse; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors