title: Graded positional information: interpretation for both fate and guidance.
abstract: Recent evidence indicates that gradients of the same extracellular molecules can act as both morphogens, specifying cell differentiation, and guidance cues, directing axon movement. We discuss how cells may use common mechanisms to convert graded information into discrete responses; and how extracellular signals provide coordinate systems that can be linked to highly diverse cellular outputs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osterfield
authors.forename: Marc W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Flanagan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics*; D003463:Cues; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D006801:Humans; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators