Churchill, a zinc finger transcriptional activator, regulates the transition between gastrulation and neurulation.
Gastrulation generates mesoderm and endoderm from embryonic epiblast; soon after, the neural plate is established within the epiblast-both events require FGF signaling. We describe a zinc finger transcriptional activator, Churchill (ChCh), which acts as a switch between different roles of FGF. FGF induces ChCh slowly; this activates Smad-interacting-protein-1 (Sip1), which blocks further induction of the mesoderm markers brachyury and Tbx6L by FGF. ChCh is first expressed as cells stop migrating through the primitive streak, and we show that it regulates cell ingression. We propose a simple mechanism by which FGF sensitizes cells to BMP signals. These results reveal that neural induction requires cessation of mesoderm formation at the midline in addition to the decision between epidermis and neural plate.
Sheng
Guojun
G
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
dos Reis
Mario
M
Stern
Claudio D
CD
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002642:Chick Embryo; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005775:Gastrula / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics; D000098908:Brachyury Protein
D030161:Avian Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000098908:Brachyury Protein; C480345:CHURC1 protein, Xenopus; C491181:Tbx6 protein, Xenopus; C492364:ZEB2 protein, Xenopus