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Activin signalling has a necessary function in Xenopus early development

S Dyson1, J B Gurdon

  • 1Wellcome CRC Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.

Current Biology : CB
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
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Activin is essential for early Xenopus development, initiating mesoderm formation. A new dominant-negative receptor construct confirmed activin

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Signaling
  • Embryogenesis

Background:

  • The initial signaling event in Xenopus development is mesoderm induction.
  • Activin and Vg1, both TGF-beta family members, are candidate inducers.
  • Previous studies using dominant-negative receptors yielded ambiguous results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the role of activin in early Xenopus development.
  • To differentiate the functions of activin and Vg1 in mesoderm induction.
  • To develop a tool for selective inhibition of activin signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Designed a novel dominant-negative receptor construct selective for activin.
  • Utilized the construct in Xenopus embryos to block activin signaling in vivo.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Observed developmental phenotypes resulting from blocked activin function.

    • Main Results:

    • The selective dominant-negative activin receptor construct effectively blocked activin signaling without affecting Vg1.
    • Inhibition of activin signaling resulted in severe defects in Xenopus early development.
    • This demonstrates an essential in vivo role for activin.

    Conclusions:

    • Activin plays a critical and essential role in Xenopus early development and mesoderm formation.
    • The findings resolve previous ambiguities regarding activin's function in vivo.
    • A previously undescribed TGF-beta family member may also be involved.