Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2009):

The posteriorizing gene Gbx2 is a direct target of Wnt signalling and the earliest factor in neural crest induction.

Full Abstract

Wnt signalling is required for neural crest (NC) induction; however, the direct targets of the Wnt pathway during NC induction remain unknown. We show here that the homeobox gene Gbx2 is essential in this process and is directly activated by Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. By ChIP and transgenesis analysis we show that the Gbx2 regulatory elements that drive expression in the NC respond directly to Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. Gbx2 has previously been implicated in posteriorization of the neural plate. Here we unveil a new role for this gene in neural fold patterning. Loss-of-function experiments using antisense morpholinos against Gbx2 inhibit NC and expand the preplacodal domain, whereas Gbx2 overexpression leads to transformation of the preplacodal domain into NC cells. We show that the NC specifier activity of Gbx2 is dependent on the interaction with Zic1 and the inhibition of preplacodal genes such as Six1. In addition, we demonstrate that Gbx2 is upstream of the neural fold specifiers Pax3 and Msx1. Our results place Gbx2 as the earliest factor in the NC genetic cascade being directly regulated by the inductive molecules, and support the notion that posteriorization of the neural folds is an essential step in NC specification. We propose a new genetic cascade that operates in the distinction between anterior placodal and NC territories.

Author information

Author/s: Li, Bo (B); Kuriyama, Sei (S); Moreno, Mauricio (M); Mayor, Roberto (R);

Affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

Grants: (Agency:Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) ; (Agency:Medical Research Council)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Development (Cambridge, England) (Development), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 136 (issue 19) : pp 3267-78

Dates: Created 2009/09/08; Completed 2009/10/14;

PMID: 19736322, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/14/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals Animals, Genetically Modified Base Sequence Binding Sites - genetics Body Patterning DNA Primers - genetics Enhancer Elements, Genetic Genes, Homeobox Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; metabolism Models, Biological

Models, Biological Molecular Sequence Data Neural Crest - embryology; metabolism RNA, Messenger - genetics; metabolism Signal Transduction Transcription Factors - genetics; metabolism Wnt Proteins - metabolism Xenopus - embryology; genetics; metabolism Xenopus Proteins - genetics; metabolism beta Catenin - metabolism

Associated Chemicals: DNA Primers (0) ; Gbx2 protein, Xenopus (0) ; Homeodomain Proteins (0) ; RNA, Messenger (0) ; Transcription Factors (0) ; Wnt Proteins (0) ; Xenopus Proteins (0) ; Zic1 protein, Xenopus (0) ; beta Catenin (0) ; beta-catenin protein, Xenopus (0)

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