Activin/Nodal signalling before implantation: setting the stage for embryo patterning

Activins and Nodal are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family of growth factors. Their Smad2/3-dependent signalling pathway is well known for its implication in the patterning of the embryo after implantation. Although this pathway is active early on at preimplantation stages,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences 2014-12, Vol.369 (1657), p.1-8
Main Authors: Papanayotou, Costis, Collignon, Jérôme
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Blastocyst
Cell lines
Cells
Embryo implantation
Embryonic stem cells
Embryos
Endoderm
Phenotypes
Pluripotent stem cells
Stem cells
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Summary:Activins and Nodal are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family of growth factors. Their Smad2/3-dependent signalling pathway is well known for its implication in the patterning of the embryo after implantation. Although this pathway is active early on at preimplantation stages, embryonic phenotypes for loss-of-function mutations of prominent components of the pathway are not detected before implantation. It is only fairly recently that an understanding of the role of the Activin/Nodal signalling pathway at these stages has started to emerge, notably from studies detailing how it controls the expression of target genes in embryonic stem cells. We review here what is currently known of the TGF-β-related ligands that determine the activity of Activin/Nodal signalling at preimplantation stages, and recent advances in the elucidation of the Smad2/3-dependent mechanisms underlying developmental progression.
ISSN:0962-8436