title: Signaling filopodia in vertebrate embryonic development.
abstract: Next to classical diffusion-based models, filopodia-like cellular protrusions have been proposed to mediate long range signaling events and morphogen gradient formation during communication between distant cells. An increasing wealth of data indicates that in spite of variable characteristics of signaling filopodia in different biological contexts, they represent a paradigm of intercellular crosstalk which is presently being unraveled in a growing literature. Here, we summarize recent advances in investigating the morphology, cellular basis and function of signaling filopodia, with focus on their role during embryonic development in vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Embryology, Institute of Anatomy II, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Felicitas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pröls
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Embryology, Institute of Anatomy II, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931, Cologne, Germany.|Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.lastname: Sagar
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Embryology, Institute of Anatomy II, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931, Cologne, Germany. martin.scaal@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaal
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D047108:Embryonic Development; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000196:embryology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway
keywords: Actin cytoskeleton; Cell–cell communication; Microtubules