Development: scaling to size by protease inhibition.
The dorsal half of bisected Xenopus laevis embryos can regenerate a well-proportioned organism on a smaller scale. A new study indicates that the removal of ventral tissue generates a steeper Chordin gradient by reducing Sizzled, a secreted inhibitor of Tolloid chordinases.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA. ederobertis@mednet.ucla.edu
Edward M
EM
De Robertis
Gabriele
G
Colozza
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins