Article Abstract:
The cloning and characterization of the dorsalin-1 gene (dsl-1)is reported. The dsl-1 gene encodes a protein member of the transforming growth factor-beta family. It is selectively expressed in the dorsal region of the neural tube, while its expression in ventral regions seems to be inhibited by factors emanating from the notochord. It promotes the differentiation or migration of neural crest cells and prevents the differentiation of motor neurons in neural plate explants. These results suggest that dsl-1 regulates differentiation in the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube, worrking in conjunction with ventralizing factors from the notochord and neural plate.
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Article Abstract:
The differentiation of cells into dorsal cell type starts at the neural plate stage of development and is controlled by the dorsalizing signal of the bone morphogenetic protein genes (BMP4 and BMP7) and the ventralizing signal of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) gene. BMP4 and BMP7 are produced by the ectoderm of the epidermis and SHH by the notochord. Although the dorsal positioning of the genes present in the dorsal neural plate is controlled by the SHH gene signal, definitive dorsal cell fate is controlled by the signal from epidermal ectoderm which is due to the BMP genes.
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Article Abstract:
The number and complexity of neuronal subtypes pose problems to studies of neural cell fate determination. However, these problems are offset by the fact that the processes used to develop neural cell diversity in vertebrates are mostly conserved with those in more primitive organisms and in other tissues. The interaction between two general sets of determinative factors, namely, secreted and intrinsic signals remains the main issue in the specification of cell fate.
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