Abstract

In 1924, Spemann and Mangold demonstrated the induction of Siamese twins in transplantation experiments with salamander eggs. Recent work in amphibian embryos has followed their lead and uncovered that cells in signalling centres that are located at the dorsal and ventral poles of the gastrula embryo communicate with each other through a network of secreted growth-factor antagonists, a protease that degrades them, a protease inhibitor and bone-morphogenic-protein signals.

Author affiliations

1. Edward M. De Robertis is at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1662, USA.
   Email: ederobertis@mednet.ucla.edu

Published online 1 February 2006

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