Morphogen gradient formation
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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
Published on: December 14, 2015
Ortrud Wartlick1, Anna Kicheva, Marcos González-Gaitán
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
How morphogen gradients are formed in target tissues is a key question for understanding the mechanisms of morphological patterning. Here, we review different mechanisms of morphogen gradient formation from theoretical and experimental points of view. First, a simple, comprehensive overview of the underlying biophysical principles of several mechanisms of gradient formation is provided. We then discuss the advantages and limitations of different experimental approaches to gradient formation analysis.
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