Repressor activity of Headless/Tcf3 is essential for vertebrate head formation

Cheol-Hee Kim, Takaya Oda, Motoyuki Itoh, Di Jiang, Kristin Bruk Artinger, Settara C. Chandrasekharappa, Wolfgang Driever and Ajay B. Chitnis ()
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Cheol-Hee Kim: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, NICHD
Takaya Oda: Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch, NHGRI, NIH
Motoyuki Itoh: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, NICHD
Di Jiang: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, NICHD
Kristin Bruk Artinger: Harvard Medical School
Settara C. Chandrasekharappa: Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch, NHGRI, NIH
Wolfgang Driever: University of Freiburg, Institute for Zoology
Ajay B. Chitnis: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, NICHD

Nature, 2000, vol. 407, issue 6806, 913-916

Abstract: Abstract The vertebrate organizer can induce a complete body axis when transplanted to the ventral side of a host embryo1 by virtue of its distinct head and trunk inducing properties. Wingless/Wnt antagonists secreted by the organizer have been identified as head inducers2,3,4. Their ectopic expression can promote head formation, whereas ectopic activation of Wnt signalling during early gastrulation blocks head formation5,6,7. These observations suggest that the ability of head inducers to inhibit Wnt signalling during formation of anterior structures is what distinguishes them from trunk inducers that permit the operation of posteriorizing Wnt signals8. Here we describe the zebrafish headless (hdl) mutant and show that its severe head defects are due to a mutation in T-cell factor-3 (Tcf3), a member of the Tcf/Lef family9,10. Loss of Tcf3 function in the hdl mutant reveals that hdl represses Wnt target genes. We provide genetic evidence that a component of the Wnt signalling pathway is essential in vertebrate head formation and patterning.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35038097

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