Positive and negative signals modulate formation of the Xenopus cement gland

The cement gland is a simple secretory organ that marks the anterior-most dorsal ectoderm in Xenopus embryos. In this study, we examine the timing of cement gland induction and the cell interactions that contribute to cement gland formation. Firstly, we show that the outer ectodermal layer, from which the cement gland arises, becomes specified as cement gland by mid-gastrula. Curiously, at early gastrula, the inner layer of the dorsal ectoderm, which does not contribute to the mature cement gland, is strongly and transiently specified as cement gland. Secondly, we show that the mid-gastrula dorsoanterior yolky endoderm, which comes to underlie the cement gland primordium, is a potent inducer of cement gland formation and patterning. The cement gland itself has an anteroposterior pattern, with the gene XA expressed only posteriorly. Dorsoanterior yolky endoderm greatly enhances formation of large, patterned cement glands in partially induced anterodorsal ectoderm, but is unable to induce cement gland in naive animal caps. Neural tissue is induced less frequently than cement gland by the dorsoanterior yolky endoderm, suggesting that the endoderm induces cement gland directly. Thirdly, we demonstrate that the ventral ectoderm adjacent to the cement gland attenuates cement gland differentiation late during gastrulation. The more distant ventral mesendoderm is also a potent inhibitor of cement gland formation. These are the first data showing that normal ventral tissues can inhibit cement gland differentiation and suggest that cement gland size and position may be partly regulated by negative signals. Previous work has shown that cement gland can be induced by neural plate and by dorsal mesoderm. Together, these data suggest that cement gland induction is a complex process regulated by multiple positive and negative cell interactions.