title: Signaling pathways and axis formation in the lower metazoa.
abstract: The determination of the body axis in the last common ancestor of bilaterian animals is still a matter of debate. While Hox genes pattern the formation of the primary, anteroposterior body axis in bilaterians, there is growing evidence from lower metazoans that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway acts as the primordial signaling system in this process. This review summarizes molecular data from recent genomic analyses of basal model organisms with a focus on the evolution of signaling pathways involved in the establishment of the primary and successive body axes during early metazoan evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Holstein
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozbek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055457:Nodal Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051785:Smad Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D055457:Nodal Protein; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051785:Smad Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin