INTRODUCTION The TGF family of growth factors, including Activin and the Nodal-related proteins, plays roles in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration in the embryos and adults of vertebrate and invertebrate species (Shen, 2007). TGF family members signal by binding to type II serine-threonine kinase receptors, which then associate with, and phosphorylate, type I re...

The homodimeric transmembrane receptor endoglin (CD105) plays an important role in angiogenesis. This is highlighted by mutations in its gene, causing the vascular disorder HHT1. The main role of endoglin function has been assigned to the modulation of transforming growth factor β and bone morphogenetic protein signalling in endothelial cells. Nevertheless, other functions of endoglin have been...

Yuji Tanaka1, Tetsuya Kimura2, Kazumi Hikino3, Shino Goto3,4, Mikio Nishimura3,4, Shoji Mano3,4 and Tsuyoshi Nakagawa1 1Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Center for Integrated Research in Science, Shimane University, 2Department of Sustainable Resource Science, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 3Department of Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 4Dep...

Hox genes encode transcription factors that control the formation of body structures, segment-specifically along the anterior-posterior axis of metazoans. Hox transcription factors bind nuclear DNA pervasively and regulate a plethora of target genes, deploying various molecular mechanisms that depend on the developmental and cellular context. To analyze quantitatively the dynamics of their DNA-...

A CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) gene, BnCIPK6, was isolated in Brassica napus. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, 27 interaction partners (including BnCBL1) of BnCIPK6 were identified in Brassica napus. Interaction of BnCIPK6 and BnCBL1 was further confirmed by BiFC (bimolecular fluorescence complementation) in plant cells. Expressions of BnCIPK6 and BnCBL1 were significantly up-regula...

Morphogen gradients provide positional cues for cell fate specification and tissue patterning during embryonic development. One important aspect of morphogen function, the mechanism by which long-range signalling occurs, is still poorly understood. In Xenopus, members of the TGF-beta family such as the nodal-related proteins and activin act as morphogens to induce mesoderm and endoderm. In an e...