Click here to close Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Xenbase and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a current version of Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.
XB-ART-17819
Cell 1996 Aug 23;864:589-98. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80132-4.
Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

Dorsoventral patterning in Xenopus: inhibition of ventral signals by direct binding of chordin to BMP-4.

Piccolo S , Sasai Y , Lu B , De Robertis EM .


???displayArticle.abstract???
Chordin (Chd) is an abundant protein secreted by Spemann organizer tissue during gastrulation. Chd antagonizes signaling by mature bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) by blocking binding to their receptors. Recombinant Xenopus Chd binds to BMP-4 with high affinity (KD, 3 x 10(-10) M), binding specifically to BMPs but not to activin or TGF-beta1. Chd protein is able to dorsalize mesoderm and to neuralize ectoderm in Xenopus gastrula explants at 1 nM. We propose that the noncell-autonomous effects of Spemann's organizer on dorsoventral patterning are executed in part by diffusible signals that directly bind to and neutralize ventral BMPs during gastrulation.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 8752213
???displayArticle.pmcLink??? PMC3070603
???displayArticle.link??? Cell
???displayArticle.grants??? [+]

Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: bmp4 chrd

References [+] :
Aono, Potent ectopic bone-inducing activity of bone morphogenetic protein-4/7 heterodimer. 1995, Pubmed, Xenbase