title: Coco regulates dorsoventral specification of germ layers via inhibition of TGFβ signalling.
abstract: One of the earliest steps in embryonic development is the specification of the germ layers, the subdivision of the blastula embryo into endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. Maternally expressed members of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) family influence all three germ layers; the ligands are required to induce endoderm and mesoderm, whereas inhibitors are required for formation of the ectoderm. Here, we demonstrate a vital role for maternal Coco, a secreted antagonist of TGFβ signalling, in this process. We show that Coco is required to prevent Activin and Nodal signals in the dorsal marginal side of the embryo from invading the prospective ectoderm, thereby restricting endoderm- and mesoderm-inducing signals to the vegetal and marginal zones of the pre-gastrula Xenopus laevis embryo.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas J D
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: Alin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vonica
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heasman
authors.forename: Ali H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Brivanlou
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D036703:Blastula / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000196:embryology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D055457:Nodal Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C473314:DAND5 protein, Xenopus; D055457:Nodal Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D028341:Activins
keywords: Coco; Ectoderm; Endoderm; Mesoderm; TGFβ; Xenopus
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