Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Morphogenesis02:19

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
Determination01:51

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
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...
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

MR. Estimator, a toolbox to determine intrinsic timescales from subsampled spiking activity.

PloS one·2021
Same author

Content of essential fatty acids in cultivated Acartia tonsa nauplii fed a DHA-deficient Tetraselmis sp. concentrate.

Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences·2014
Same author

Concomitant chemotherapy and radiation for the treatment of advanced-stage endometrial cancer.

Gynecologic oncology·2014
Same author

Similarities and differences among fluid milk products: traditionally produced, extended shelf life and ultrahigh-temperature processed.

Food science and technology international = Ciencia y tecnologia de los alimentos internacional·2013
Same author

[Mid-term outcome of cardiac surgery patients with prolonged postoperative intensive care treatment].

Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin·2011
Same author

Influence of nutrition level on digestibility in high yielding cows and effects on energy evaluation systems.

Journal of dairy science·2004
Same journal

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Centimetre-scale landscapes to assess the motion behaviour and cognition of gastropods and bivalves.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Intertidal microcosms of wave-swept rocky shores: ecological and physiological insights from a uniquely stressful environment.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Temporal and spatial variation in temperature and oxygen at the microscale: key niche axes for aquatic life.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Microbe-induced galls and plant defence: metabolite crosstalk in a co-evolutionary battle.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Understanding how morphogens work.

J C Smith1, A Hagemann, Y Saka

  • 1Wellcome Trust/CR-UK Gurdon Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK. jim@gurdon.cam.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|January 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Morphogens like activin move through extracellular space in Xenopus embryos, not via transcytosis or cytonemes. Further research is needed to fully understand morphogen gradient formation and signaling range.

More Related Videos

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
09:16

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos
07:18

Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos

Published on: October 27, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
09:16

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos
07:18

Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos

Published on: October 27, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Signaling
  • Embryology

Background:

  • Morphogen gradients are crucial for embryonic development, establishing cell fates over distance.
  • Understanding how signaling molecules travel within embryonic tissues is key to deciphering developmental patterning.
  • Previous models proposed various mechanisms for morphogen transport, including transcytosis and cytonemes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transport mechanisms of long-range acting morphogens in the Xenopus embryo.
  • To determine whether morphogens move via transcytosis, cytonemes, or extracellular diffusion.
  • To identify factors influencing morphogen signaling range and gradient formation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of morphogen movement within the Xenopus laevis embryo.
  • Experimental approaches to distinguish between different transport mechanisms.
  • Observation and interpretation of morphogen distribution patterns.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests that signaling molecules, including activin and nodal-related proteins, move through the extracellular space.
  • The data are inconsistent with morphogen transport via transcytosis or cytonemes.
  • The study provides a foundation for further investigation into morphogen transport dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Morphogen transport in Xenopus embryos primarily occurs through the extracellular space.
  • Transcytosis and cytonemes are unlikely mechanisms for the long-range action of these specific morphogens.
  • Real-time imaging is essential for a comprehensive understanding of morphogen gradient dynamics and signaling range.