In this paper we demonstrate a spatio-temporal gene regulatory network for early gastrulation in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. We measure gene expression during early gastrulation using a gene expression quantification tool. We measure gene expression during early gastrulation when the embryo is more or less radial symmetrical and where there is only one body axis (the aboral oral bod...

The dorsal blastopore lip (known as the Spemann organizer) is important for making the body plan in amphibian gastrulation. The organizer is believed to involute inward and migrate animally to make physical contact with the prospective head neuroectoderm at the blastocoel roof of mid- to late-gastrula. However, we found that this physical contact was already established at the equatorial region...

Coordinated morphogenetic cell movements during gastrulation are crucial for establishing embryonic axes in animals. Most recently, the non-canonical Wnt signaling cascade (PCP pathway) has been shown to regulate convergent extension movements in Xenopus and zebrafish. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are known as modulators of intercellular signaling, and are required for gastrulation mov...

BACKGROUND Mesoderm migration in the Drosophila gastrula depends on the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor Heartless (Htl). During gastrulation Htl is required for adhesive interactions of the mesoderm with the ectoderm and for the generation of protrusive activity of the mesoderm cells during migration. After gastrulation Htl is essential for the differentiation of dorsal mesodermal deriv...

The process of gastrulation [6] allows for the formation of the germ layers [7] in metazoan embryos, and is generally achieved through a series of complex and coordinated cellular movements. The process of gastrulation [6] can be either diploblastic or triploblastic. In diploblastic organisms like cnidaria or ctenophora, only the endoderm [8] and the ectoderm [9] form; in triploblastic organism...

The process of gastrulation [6] allows for the formation of the germ layers [7] in metazoan embryos, and is generally achieved through a series of complex and coordinated cellular movements. The process of gastrulation [6] can be either diploblastic or triploblastic. In diploblastic organisms like cnidaria or ctenophora, only the endoderm [8] and the ectoderm [9] form; in triploblastic organism...

We have identified a gene, DRhoGEF2, which encodes a putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor belonging to the Dbl family of oncogenes. DRhoGEF2 function is essential for the coordination of cell shape changes during gastrulation. In the absence of maternal DRhoGEF2 gene activity, mesodermal and endodermal primordia fail to invaginate. The phenotype seen in DRhoGEF2 mutants is more severe th...

To obtain insight into the axis-forming mechanism in ascidian embryogenesis, Hroth, an ascidian counterpart of orthodenticle/otx, was isolated from Halocynthia roretzi and its expression in embryogenesis was examined by whole mount in situ hybridization. It was revealed that Hroth is expressed in both involuting mesoendoderm and anterior ectoderm during gastrulation while later expression is re...

Gastrulation is the process by which the germ layers become positioned in an embryo. C. elegans gastrulation serves as a model for studying the molecular mechanisms of diverse cellular and developmental phenomena, including morphogenesis, cell polarization, cell-cell signaling, actomyosin contraction and cell-cell adhesion. One distinct advantage of studying these phenomena in C. elegans is tha...