login

The evolution of vertebrate gastrulation

DevelopmentPublished 1 January 1994
Edward M. De Robertis, Abraham Fainsod, Linda K. Gont, Herbert Steinbeißer
Citations75
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.72
SNIP0.98

TL;DR

This work attempts to identify homologous structures and equivalent stages in Xenopus, zebrafish, chick and mouse gastrulation by analyzing a head-organizer marker, goosecoid, and a marker common to all forming mesoderm, Brachyury.

Abstract

The availability of molecular markers now permits the analysis of the common elements of vertebrate gastrulation. While gastrulation appears to be very diverse in the vertebrates, by analyzing a head-organizer marker, goosecoid, and a marker common to all forming mesoderm, Brachyury, we attempt to identify homologous structures and equivalent stages in Xenopus, zebrafish, chick and mouse gastrulation. Using a tail-organizer marker, Xnot-2, we also discuss how the late stages of gastrulation lead to the formation of the postanal tail, a structure characteristic of the chordates.

Keywords

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology