1. Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies, Section of Histology and Embryology, University of Padua, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
2. Departments of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Genetics, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA

Correspondence to: Stefano Piccolo¹ Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S.P. (Email: piccolo@bio.unipd.it).

Abstract

MicroRNAs are crucial modulators of gene expression, yet their involvement as effectors of growth factor signalling is largely unknown. Ligands of the transforming growth factor- superfamily are essential for development and adult tissue homeostasis. In early Xenopus embryos, signalling by the transforming growth factor- ligand Nodal is crucial for the dorsal induction of the Spemann's organizer. Here we report that Xenopus laevis microRNAs miR-15 and miR-16 restrict the size of the organizer by targeting the Nodal type II receptor Acvr2a. Endogenous miR-15 and miR-16 are ventrally enriched as they are negatively regulated by the dorsal Wnt/-catenin pathway. These findings exemplify the relevance of microRNAs as regulators of early embryonic patterning acting at the crossroads of fundamental signalling cascades.

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