Detailed expression profile of all six Glypicans and their modifying enzyme Notum during chick embryogenesis and their role in dorsal-ventral patterning of the neural tube.
Vertebrate development is orchestrated by secreted signalling molecules that regulate cell behaviour and cell fate decisions during early embryogenesis. The activity of key signalling molecules including members of Hedgehog, Bone Morphogenetic Proteins and Wnt families are regulated by Glypicans, a family of GPI linked polypeptides. Glypicans either promote or inhibit the action of signalling molecules and add a layer of complexity that needs to be understood in order to fully decipher the processes that regulate early vertebrate development. Here we present a detailed expression profile of all six Glypicans and their modifying enzyme Notum during chick embryogenesis. Our results strongly suggest that these proteins have many as yet undiscovered roles to play during early embryogenesis. Finally, we have taken an experimental approach to investigate their role during the patterning of a key embryonic structure - the neural tube. In particular, we show that over-expression of Notum leads to the dorsalisation of this structure.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Kawakeb
K
Saad
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Anthony
A
Otto
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Susanne
S
Theis
School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ.
Niki
N
Kennerley
School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ.
Andrea
A
Munsterberg
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Graham
G
Luke
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK; Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: ketan.patel@reading.ac.uk.
Ketan
K
Patel
D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D019521:Body Patterning; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053673:Glypicans / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000196:embryology
D030161:Avian Proteins; D053673:Glypicans; D004950:Esterases
BMP; Chick; Embryo; FGF; Glypican; Notum; Shh; Signalling