Exp Mol Med.  2008 Oct;40(5):550-557. 10.3858/emm.2008.40.5.550.

Spatiotemporal regulation of fibroblast growth factor signal blocking for endoderm formation in Xenopus laevis

• Cha SW
• Lee JW
• Hwang YS
• Chae JP
• Park KM
• Cho HJ
• Kim DS
• Bae YC
• Park MJ

• KMID: 1104809
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3858/emm.2008.40.5.550

Abstract

We have previously shown that the inhibition of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling induced endodermal gene expression in the animal cap and caused the expansion of the endodermal mass in Xenopus embryos. However, we still do not know whether or not the alteration of FGF signaling controls embryonic cell fate, or when FGF signal blocking is required for endoderm formation in Xenopus. Here, we show that FGF signal blocking in embryonic cells causes their descendants to move into the endodermal region and to express endodermal genes. It is also interesting that blocking FGF signaling between fertilization and embryonic stage 10.5 promotes endoderm formation, but persistent FGF signaling blocking after stage 10.5 restricts endoderm formation and differentiation.

Keyword

embryonic development; endoderm; fibroblast growth factors; SU 5402; Xenopus

MeSH Terms

Animals
Endoderm/drug effects/embryology/*metabolism
Fibroblast Growth Factors/antagonists & inhibitors/genetics/*physiology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
In Situ Hybridization
Pyrroles/administration & dosage/pharmacology
Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor/genetics/physiology
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Signal Transduction/drug effects
Xenopus Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/genetics/*physiology
Xenopus laevis/embryology/genetics/*physiology