The signaling pathways in tissue morphogenesis: a lesson from mice with eye-open at birth phenotype

Tissue morphogenesis during development is regulated by growth factors and cytokines, and is characterized by constant remodeling of extracellular matrix in response to signaling molecules. MEK kinase 1 (MEKK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase originally identified as an upstream activator for several MAPK pathways. During mouse embryogenesis, MEKK1 controls cell shape changes and formation of actin stress fibers that are required for sealing epidermis in the embryos in a process known as eyelid closure. MEKK1-null mice display eye-open at birth (EOB), a phenotype found also in mice impaired in activin, a subgroup of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) family, or in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or its ligand TGFalpha, or in transcription factor c-Jun. Molecular analyses have revealed at least two signaling mechanisms in the control of eyelid closure. One is originated from the activins and is transduced through MEKK1, leading to transcription-independent actin stress fiber formation and transcription-dependent keratinocyte migration. Another is the TGFalpha/EGFR signal that is transduced through a MEKK1-independent pathway to the activation of the ERK MAPK, which also leads to keratinocyte migration. c-Jun might serve as a connection between the two pathways. As embryonic eyelid closure is a specific morphogenetic process that is easily detectable, genetic mutant mice with EOB will be ideal models to understand the signaling mechanisms in the control of epithelial cell migration and the morphogenetic process of epithelial sheet movement.