Mesoderm induction in amphibians and chick.
Date
1996-05
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Abstract
Induction is a process in which the developmental pathway of one cell is controlled by
signals emitted from another. Mesoderm induction is the first inductive interaction in the
Xenopus enbryo and probably occurs in all vertebrates. It is a very important event as it is
implicated in the regulation of morphogenesis. Nieuwkoop first demonstrated the importance of
vegetal endoderm in inducing the mesoderm. Slack and co-workers incorporated the information
obtained from experimental embryology in a "three signal" model for mesoderm induction in
amphibians (signals arising from ventral vegetal hemisphere, dorsal vegetal hemisphere and the
organizer). More recent research has resulted in the detection of mesoderm inducing factors
which are members of FGF and TGF--β families. Activin, a member of the TGF-ß family, has
been shown to induce differential gene expression and cell differentiation in a concentrationdependent
manner giving credence to the theory of morphogen gradients. Study of mesoderm
induction in the chick embryo is much more difficult due to several reasons. Novel experimental
approaches, however, have been used which point to the role of activin and FGF in chick
mesoderm induction. The demonstration of mesoderm inducing activity of activin and FGF in
other groups of vertebrates, particularly the chick embryo brings out the possibility of a universal
mechanism of mesoderm induction being operative in all the vertebrates.
Description
Keywords
Embryonic induction, mesoderm induction, amphibian embryo, chick embryo, mesoderm inducing factors, activin, fibroblast growth factor, human seminal plasma inhibin
Citation
Ghaskadbi Surendra. Mesoderm induction in amphibians and chick. Journal of Biosciences. 1996 May; 21(3): 353-368.