AI Article Synopsis
- Hensen's node is a crucial part of early embryo development in birds and mammals, playing key roles in neural induction and the patterning of different tissue layers.
- Researchers conducted a study to discover new secreted factors from Hensen's node and identified several candidates using a technique called Signal Sequence Trap.
- One of the focal factors, Calreticulin, has roles in regulating calcium and protein folding, but it also can bind to BMP4 and function as a BMP antagonist, contributing to the overall complexity of Hensen's node activities but not fully explaining them.
Article Abstract
Hensen's node is the "organizer" of the avian and mammalian early embryo. It has many functions, including neural induction and patterning of the ectoderm and mesoderm. Some of the signals responsible for these activities are known but these do not explain the full complexity of organizer activity. Here we undertake a functional screen to discover new secreted factors expressed by the node at this time of development. Using a Signal Sequence Trap in yeast, we identify several candidates. Here we focus on Calreticulin. We show that in addition to its known functions in intracellular Calcium regulation and protein folding, Calreticulin is secreted, it can bind to BMP4 and act as a BMP antagonist in vivo and in vitro. Calreticulin is not sufficient to account for all organizer functions but may contribute to the complexity of its activity.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5231319 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.12.001 | DOI Listing |
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