Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
12:59

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

Published on: February 28, 2021

Pnas4 is a novel regulator for convergence and extension during vertebrate gastrulation

Shaohua Yao1, Lifang Xie, Meilin Qian

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital and Life Science College, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

FEBS Letters
|June 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

The protein Pnas4 is crucial for embryonic development, regulating cell movements during gastrulation. Its dysfunction leads to developmental defects, highlighting its role in early embryogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The protein Pnas4 has been implicated in tumors, but its normal function is unknown.
  • Understanding Pnas4's role is essential for insights into both development and potential disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental function of Pnas4.
  • To elucidate the role of Pnas4 in cell movement during embryonic gastrulation using zebrafish.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized zebrafish as a model organism.
  • Performed gene knockdown and mRNA over-expression of Pnas4.
  • Conducted genetic interaction assays to explore signaling pathways.

Main Results:

  • Knocking down Pnas4 resulted in gastrulation defects, including abnormal body axis formation and prechordal plate positioning, due to impaired convergence and extension.
  • Over-expression of Pnas4 led to an elongated body axis.
  • Pnas4 is required cell-autonomously for dorsal convergence, but not anterior migration.
  • Pnas4 appears to function in parallel with non-canonical Wnt signaling in regulating cell movement.

Conclusions:

  • Pnas4 is a key regulator of cell movement during zebrafish gastrulation.
  • The findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing embryonic development.

More Related Videos

Double Whole Mount in situ Hybridization of Early Chick Embryos15:42

Double Whole Mount in situ Hybridization of Early Chick Embryos

Published on: October 27, 2008

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo11:13

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: February 2, 2016

Related Concept Videos

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...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs01:42

Phosphoinositides and PIPs

Phosphoinositides are a group of phospholipids containing a glycerol backbone with two fatty acid chains and a phosphate attached to a myoinositol sugar ring. The inositol head group extends into the cytoplasm, where it is modified by adding phosphate groups to form phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs.
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...