The evolution of signalling pathways in animal development
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
Published on: February 16, 2017
André Pires-daSilva1, Ralf J Sommer
1Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-nstitut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 37-39, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Despite the bewildering number of cell types and patterns found in the animal kingdom, only a few signalling pathways are required to generate them. Most cell-cell interactions during embryonic development involve the Hedgehog, Wnt, transforming growth factor-beta, receptor tyrosine kinase, Notch, JAK/STAT and nuclear hormone pathways. Looking at how these pathways evolved might provide insights into how a few signalling pathways can generate so much cellular and morphological diversity during the development of individual organisms and the evolution of animal body plans.
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