Article abstract


Nature Cell Biology 8, 329 - 340 (2006)
Published online: 5 March 2006 | doi:10.1038/ncb1379



There is an Erratum (April 2006) associated with this Article.

Sizzled controls dorso-ventral polarity by repressing cleavage of the Chordin protein

Osamu Muraoka1, Takashi Shimizu1, Taijiro Yabe1,3, Hideaki Nojima1, Young-Ki Bae1, Hisashi Hashimoto2 & Masahiko Hibi1


The Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signalling gradient has a major function in the formation of the dorso-ventral axis. The zebrafish ventralized mutant, ogon, encodes Secreted Frizzled (Sizzled). sizzled is ventrally expressed in a Bmp-dependent manner and is required for the suppression of Bmp signalling on the ventral side of zebrafish embryos. However, it remains unclear how Sizzled inhibits Bmp signalling and controls ventro-lateral cell fate. We found that Sizzled stabilizes Chordin, a Bmp antagonist, by binding and inhibiting the Tolloid-family metalloproteinase, Bmp1a, which cleaves and inactivates Chordin. The cysteine-rich domain of Sizzled is required for inhibition of Bmp1a activity. Loss of both Bmp1a and Tolloid-like1 (Tll1; another Tolloid-family metalloproteinase) function leads to a complete suppression and reversal of the ogon mutant phenotype. These results indicate that Sizzled represses the activities of Tolloid-family proteins, thereby creating the Chordin–Bmp activity gradient along the dorso-ventral axis. Here, we describe a previously unrecognized role for a secreted Frizzled-related protein.

Top
  1. Laboratory for Vertebrate Axis Formation, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, 2–2–3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku Kobe, Hyogo 650–0047, Japan.
  2. Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464–8601, Japan.
  3. Present address: Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Correspondence to: Masahiko Hibi1 e-mail: hibi@cdb.riken.jp



MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Chordin cleavage is sizzling

Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Apr 2006)

sFRPs: a declaration of (Wnt) independence

Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Jan 2009)

See all 5 matches for News And Views

Extra navigation

Subscribe to Nature Cell Biology

Subscribe

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs