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Embryonic mesoderm cells spread in response to platelet-derived growth factor and signaling by phosphatidylinositol

K Symes1, M Mercola

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 3, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) AA signaling promotes Xenopus embryonic mesoderm cell spreading on fibronectin. This process is mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), crucial for cell migration during gastrulation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cell signaling
  • Molecular embryology

Background:

  • Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) AA signaling is crucial for embryonic development.
  • Defects in PDGF signaling lead to abnormal mesoderm movement and axial organization in mouse and Xenopus embryos.
  • The cellular response to PDGF and its signaling pathways in mesoderm cells remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the direct effect of PDGF AA on Xenopus embryonic mesoderm cell behavior in vitro.
  • To identify the specific signaling pathways involved in PDGF-induced mesoderm cell spreading.
  • To elucidate the role of PDGF in regulating mesoderm cell adhesion during gastrulation.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an in vitro assay using Xenopus embryonic mesoderm cell aggregates.
  • Assessed cell spreading on fibronectin in response to PDGF AA.
  • Utilized wortmannin to inhibit phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling.
  • Employed receptor activation studies with specific mutations to dissect signaling pathways.

Main Results:

  • PDGF AA significantly stimulates mesoderm cell aggregates to spread on fibronectin.
  • Wortmannin treatment blocks PDGF AA-induced mesoderm cell spreading, implicating PI3K.
  • PDGF-induced cell spreading is dependent on PI3K, but not on phospholipase C gamma, Ras GTPase-activating protein, or SHPTP2.

Conclusions:

  • PDGF signaling, mediated by PI3K, facilitates embryonic mesoderm cell spreading on fibronectin.
  • PDGF, potentially produced by ectoderm, influences mesoderm cell adhesion during gastrulation.
  • This study clarifies a key mechanism in embryonic mesoderm development and cell migration.

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