PUBLICATION

Induction of the zebrafish ventral brain and floorplate requires cyclops/nodal signalling

Authors
Sampath, K., Rubinstein, A.L., Cheng, A.H.S., Liang, J.O., Fekany, K., Solnica-Krezel, L., Korzh, V., Halpern, M.E., and Wright, C.V.E.
ID
ZDB-PUB-980929-2
Date
1998
Source
Nature   395: 185-189 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Fekany-Lee, Kimberly, Halpern, Marnie E., Korzh, Vladimir, Liang, Jennifer, Rubinstein, Amy, Sampath, Karuna, Solnica-Krezel, Lilianna, Wright, Christopher V.E.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning/physiology
  • Brain/embryology*
  • Embryonic Induction*
  • Gastrula/physiology
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Mesoderm/physiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nodal Protein
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Trans-Activators*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta/physiology*
  • Xenopus
  • Xenopus Proteins
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins
PubMed
9744278 Full text @ Nature
Abstract
Zebrafish cyclops (cyc) mutations cause deficiencies in the dorsal mesendoderm and ventral neural tube, leading to neural defects and cyclopia. Here we report that cyc encodes a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-related intercellular signalling molecule that is similar to mouse nodal. cyc is expressed in dorsal mesendoderm at gastrulation and in the prechordal plate until early somitogenesis. Expression reappears transiently in the left lateral-plate mesoderm, and in an unprecedented asymmetric pattern in the left forebrain. Injection of cyc RNA non-autonomously restores sonic hedgehog-expressing cells of the ventral brain and floorplate that are absent in cyc mutants, whereas inducing activities are abolished by cyc, a mutation of a conserved cysteine in the mature ligand. Our results indicate that cyc provides an essential non-cell-autonomous signal at gastrulation, leading to induction of the floorplate and ventral brain.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping