title: Extracellular modulation of BMP activity in patterning the dorsoventral axis.
abstract: Signaling via bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) regulates a vast array of diverse biological processes in the developing embryo and in postembryonic life. Many insights into BMP signaling derive from studies of the BMP signaling gradients that pattern cell fates along the embryonic dorsal-ventral (DV) axis of both vertebrates and invertebrates. This review examines recent developments in the field of DV patterning by BMP signaling, focusing on extracellular modulation as a key mechanism in the formation of BMP signaling gradients in Drosophila, Xenopus, and zebrafish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA.
authors.forename: Shawn C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mullins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015398:Signal Transduction; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D052004:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors