title: The secreted EGF-Discoidin factor xDel1 is essential for dorsal development of the Xenopus embryo.
abstract: We show here that a secreted EGF-Discoidin-domain protein, Xenopus Del1 (xDel1), is an essential factor for dorsal development in the early Xenopus embryo. Knockdown of the xDel1 function causes obvious ventralization of the embryo. Conversely, overexpression of xDel1 expands dorsal-marker expression and suppresses ventral-marker expression in the gastrula embryo. Forced expression of xDel1 dorsalizes ventral marginal zone explants, whereas it weakly induces neural differentiation but not mesodermal differentiation in animal caps. The dorsalizing activity of xDel1 is dependent on the Discoidin domains and not on the RGD motif (which is implicated in its angiogenic activity) or EGF repeats. Luciferase assays show that xDel1 attenuates BMP-signaling reporter activity by interfering with the pathway downstream of the BMP receptor. Thus, xDel1 functions as a unique extracellular regulatory factor of DV patterning in early vertebrate embryogenesis.
authors: Organogenesis and Neurogenesis Group, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Arakawa
authors: Mami
authors: M
authors: Matsuo-Takasaki
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Takai
authors: Hidehiko
authors: H
authors: Inomata
authors: Michiru
authors: M
authors: Matsumura
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Ikeya
authors: Kenzo
authors: K
authors: Takahashi
authors: Yoshiki
authors: Y
authors: Miyachi
authors: Noriaki
authors: N
authors: Sasai
authors: Yoshiki
authors: Y
authors: Sasai
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; C503184:EDIL3 protein, Xenopus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid