Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

A truncated activin receptor inhibits mesoderm induction and formation of axial structures in Xenopus embryos

Nature volume 359, pages 609–614 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

Activins can induce mesoderm in embryonic explants and have been proposed as the natural inducer in Xenopus. A mutant activin receptor that inhibits activin signalling is used to show that activin is required for the induction of mesoderm in vivo and the patterning of the embryonic body plan. Blocking the activin signal transduction pathway also reveals autonomous induction of a neural marker and unmasks a relationship between activin and fibroblast growth factor.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Keller, R. in Methods in Cell Biology (eds Kay, B. K. & Peng, H. B.) (Academic, San Diego, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Keller, R. E. & Danilchik, M. Development 103, 193–210 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Wilson, P. A. & Keller, R. E. Development 105, 155–166 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Mangold, O. Naturwissenschaften 21, 761–766 (1933).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hemmati-Brivanlou, A., Stewart, R. M. & Harland, R. M. Science 250, 800–802 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Spemann, H. & Mangold, H. Arch. mikr. Anat. EntwMech. 100, 599–638 (1924).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Nieuwkoop, P. D. Wilhelm Roux Arch. EntwMech. Org. 162, 341–373 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Melton, D. A. Science 252, 234–241 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Dawid, I. B. in Methods in Cell Biology (eds Kay, B. K. & Peng, H. B.) (Academic, San Diego, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Slack, J. M. W., Darlington, B. G., Heath, J. K., & Godsave, S. F. Nature 326, 197–200 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kimelman, D. & Kirschner, M. Cell 51, 869–877 (1987)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Rosa, F. et al. Science 239, 783–785 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Smith, J. C. Development 99, 3–14 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Asashima, M. et al. Naturwissenschaften 77, 389–391 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sokol, S., Wong, G. G. & Melton, D. A. Science 249, 561–564 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. McMahon, A. P. & Moon, R. T. Cell 58, 1075–1084 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Christian, J. L., Gavin, B. J., McMahon, A. P. & Moon, R. T. Devl Biol. 143, 230–234 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sokol, S., Christian, J. L., Moon, R. T. & Melton, D. A. Cell 67, 741–752 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Smith, W. C. & Harland, R. M. Cell 67, 753–765 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Thomsen, G. et al. Cell 63, 485–493 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Asashima, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci U.S.A. 88, 6511–6514 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Shiurba, R. A., Jing, N., Sakakura, T. & Godsave, S. F. Development 113, 487–494 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ruiz i Altaba, A. & Melton, D. A. Trends Genet. 6, 57–64 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Green, J. B. A. & Smith, J. C. Nature 347, 391–394 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Green, J. B., Howes, G., Symes, K., Cooke, J. & Smith, J. C. Development 108, 173–183 (1990).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Sokol, S. & Melton, D. A. Nature 351, 409–411 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ruiz i Altaba, A. & Jessel, T. Genes Dev. 5, 175–187 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Herskowitz, I. Nature 329, 219–222 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Amaya, E., Musci, T. J. & Kirschner, M. W. Cell 66, 257–270 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kondo, M. et al. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 181, 684–690 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Mathews, L. S., Vale, W. W. & Kintner, C. R. Science 255, 1702–1705 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hemmati-Brivanlou, A., Wright, D. A. & Melton, D. A. (in the press).

  33. Symes, K. & Smith, J. Development 101, 185–408 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Smith, J. C., Price, B. M. J., Green, J. B. A., Weigel, D., & Herrmann, B. G. Cell 67, 79–87 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Rosa, F. M. Cell 57, 965–974 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Cho, K. W. Y., Blumberg, B., Steinbeissier, H. & De Robertis, E. M. Cell 67, 1111–1120 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Mohun, T. J., Brennan, S., Dathan, N., Fairman, S. & Gurdon, J. B. Nature 311, 716–721 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Sive, H. L., Hattori, K. & Weintraub, H. Cell 58, 171–180 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Bolce, M., Hemmati-Brivanlou, A., Kirsher, P. & Harland, R. (in the press).

  40. Kintner, C. R. & Melton, D. A. Development 99, 311–325 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Smith, J. C., Price, B. M. J., Van Nimmen, K. & Huylebroeck, D., Nature 345, 729–731 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Kintner, C. R. & Dodd, J. Development 113, 1495–1506 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Sharpe, C. R. & Gurdon, J. B. Development 109, 765–774 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Vize, P. D., Hemmati-Brivanlou, A., Harland, R., & Melton, D. A. in Xenopus laevis: Practical uses in Cell and Molecular Biology (eds Kay, B. K. & Peng, H. B.) 361–381 (Academic, Florida, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Nakamura, T., Sugino, K., Titani, K. & Sugino, H. J. biol. Chem. 266, 19432–19437 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Dale, L., Howes, G., Price, B. M. J. & Smith, J. C. Development 115, 573–585 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Jones, C. M., Lyons, K. M., Lapan, P. M., Wright, C. V. & Hogan, B. L. M. Development 115, 639–647 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Krieg, P. A. & Melton, D. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 12, 7057–7070 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Newport, J. & Kirschner, M. Cell 30, 675–686 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Nieuwkoop, P. D. & Faber, J. Normal Table of Xenopus laevis (Daudin) (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  51. Condie, B. G. & Harland, R. M. Development 101, 93–105 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Krieg, P., Varnum, S., Wormington, M. & Melton, D. A. Devl Biol. 133, 93–100 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Jonas, E. A., Snape, A. M. & Sargent, T. D. Development 106, 399–405 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Hemmati-Brivanlou, A. et al. Development 110, 325–330 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Harland, R. M. in Methods in Cell Biology (eds Kay, B. K. & Peng, H. B.) (Academic, San Diego, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  56. Hemmati-Brivanlou, A. & Harland, R. M. Development 106, 611–617 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

    Ali Hemmati-Brivanlou & Douglas A. Melton

Authors
  1. Ali Hemmati-Brivanlou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Douglas A. Melton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hemmati-Brivanlou, A., Melton, D. A truncated activin receptor inhibits mesoderm induction and formation of axial structures in Xenopus embryos. Nature 359, 609–614 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/359609a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/359609a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing