The head inducer Cerberus is a multifunctional antagonist of Nodal, BMP and Wnt signals

Stefano Piccolo, Eric Agius, Luc Leyns, Subha Bhattacharyya, Horst Grunz, Tewis Bouwmeester and E. M. De Robertis
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Stefano Piccolo: University of California
Eric Agius: University of California
Luc Leyns: University of California
Subha Bhattacharyya: University of California
Horst Grunz: University of California
Tewis Bouwmeester: EMBL
E. M. De Robertis: University of California

Nature, 1999, vol. 397, issue 6721, 707-710

Abstract: Abstract Embryological and genetic evidence indicates that the vertebrate head is induced by a different set of signals from those that organize trunk–tail development1,2,3,4,5,6. The gene cerberus encodes a secreted protein that is expressed in anterior endoderm and has the unique property of inducing ectopic heads in the absence of trunk structures1. Here we show that the cerberus protein functions as a multivalent growth-factor antagonist in the extracellular space: it binds to Nodal, BMP and Wnt proteins via independent sites. The expression of cerberus during gastrulation is activated by earlier nodal-related signals in endoderm and by Spemann-organizer factors that repress signalling by BMP and Wnt. In order for the head territory to form, we propose that signals involved in trunk development, such as those involving BMP, Wnt and Nodal proteins, must be inhibited in rostral regions.

Date: 1999
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DOI: 10.1038/17820

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