Abstract
We report the isolation of mouse cerberus-like (cer-l), a gene encoding a novel secreted protein that is specifically expressed in the anterior visceral endoderm during early gastrulation. Expression in the primitive endoderm starts before the appearance of the primitive streak and lasts until the head-fold stage. In later stages, a second region of expression is found in newly formed somites. Mouse cer-l shares some sequence similarity with Xenopus cerberus (Xcer). In Xenopus assays cer-l, like Xcer, mRNA acts as a potent neuralizing factor that induces forebrain markers and endoderm, but is unable to induce ectopic head-like structures as Xcer does. In addition to cer-l, anterior visceral endoderm was found to express the transcription factors Lim1, goosecoid and HNF-3beta that are also present in trunk organizer cells. A model of how head and trunk development might be regulated is discussed. Given its neuralizing activity, the secreted protein Cer-l is a candidate for mediating inductive activities of anterior visceral endoderm.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Central Nervous System / embryology
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Cytokines
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
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Ectoderm / metabolism
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Embryo, Nonmammalian
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Embryonic Induction / genetics
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Endoderm / metabolism*
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Gastrula / metabolism*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta
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Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
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Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
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Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
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LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
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Mice
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Microinjections
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics
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Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
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Otx Transcription Factors
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Proteins / genetics*
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Proteins / metabolism*
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Proteins / physiology*
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RNA, Messenger
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Trans-Activators / genetics
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Trans-Activators / metabolism
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Transcription Factor HES-1
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Transcription Factors*
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Xenopus / embryology
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Xenopus Proteins
Substances
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Cer1 protein, mouse
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Cytokines
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Foxa2 protein, mouse
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Hes1 protein, mouse
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Homeodomain Proteins
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Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
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LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
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Lhx1 protein, Xenopus
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Lhx1 protein, mouse
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Otx Transcription Factors
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Proteins
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RNA, Messenger
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Trans-Activators
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Transcription Factor HES-1
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Transcription Factors
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Xenopus Proteins
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cer1 protein, Xenopus
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Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta