Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development
09:32

Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development

Published on: June 15, 2017

Promotion and attenuation of FGF signaling through the Ras-MAPK pathway

Michael Tsang1, Igor B Dawid

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Science'S STKE : Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment
|April 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) regulate development by activating signaling pathways. Conserved FGF target genes provide feedback, with Sprouty, Sef, and phosphatases inhibiting FGF signaling, while ERM, PEA3, and XFLRT3 promote it.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are crucial ligands initiating signal transduction pathways.
  • FGF signaling orchestrates diverse biological responses essential for development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify conserved FGF target genes that act as feedback regulators of FGF signaling.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms of multilayered regulation within the FGF signaling cascade.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of conserved FGF target genes.
  • Identification of genes encoding feedback regulators (positive and negative).
  • Characterization of Sprouty, Sef, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase families, ERM, PEA3, and XFLRT3 roles.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of conserved FGF target genes encoding feedback regulators.
  • Sprouty, Sef, and phosphatases identified as negative modulators of FGF signaling.
  • ETS transcription factors ERM and PEA3, and XFLRT3 identified as positive regulators.

Conclusions:

  • FGF signaling is subject to multilayered regulation by feedback modulators.
  • Precise adjustment of FGF signaling through these regulators is critical for developmental processes.

More Related Videos

Identification of EGFR and RAS Inhibitors using Caenorhabditis elegans08:12

Identification of EGFR and RAS Inhibitors using Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: October 5, 2020

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells06:54

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

Related Concept Videos

The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade01:22

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...