1. An essential role for retinoid signaling in anteroposterior neural patterning.
- Author
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Blumberg B, Bolado J Jr, Moreno TA, Kintner C, Evans RM, and Papalopulu N
- Subjects
- Animals, Cell Differentiation drug effects, Cell Line, Ectoderm cytology, Ectoderm physiology, Embryo, Nonmammalian cytology, Embryonic Induction, Genes, Reporter, In Situ Hybridization, Mesoderm cytology, Microinjections, Nervous System cytology, Neurons cytology, RNA, Messenger biosynthesis, Recombinant Fusion Proteins biosynthesis, Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha, Signal Transduction, Transcription, Genetic, Transfection, Tretinoin administration & dosage, Xenopus embryology, Embryo, Nonmammalian physiology, Mesoderm physiology, Nervous System embryology, Neurons physiology, Receptors, Retinoic Acid biosynthesis, Receptors, Retinoic Acid physiology, Tretinoin pharmacology
- Abstract
The vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) is induced by signals emanating from the dorsal mesoderm, or organizer, that divert the ectoderm away from an epidermal and towards a neural fate. Additional signals from the organizer pattern the neural ectoderm along the anteroposterior axis. We devised highly specific methods utilizing constitutively active or dominant negative receptors to evaluate the role of retinoids in neural patterning. Microinjection of these reagents either augments or reduces retinoid signaling in specific regions of the embryo. We show that increased receptor activity suppresses anterior neural structures while dominant negative receptors lead to anterior enhancement. Similarly, microinjection of the dominant negative receptor leads to the loss of posterior marker genes. We demonstrate that retinoid receptors comprise a critical component in neural posteriorization and are required for proper neuronal differentiation. These results support a quantitative role for retinoid signaling in regionalization of the CNS.
- Published
- 1997
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