During
embryonal development of vertebrates, signaling molecules inform each cell at
which position it is located. In this way, the cell can develop its special
structure and function. For the first time now, researchers of Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology (KIT) have shown that these signaling molecules are
transmitted in bundles via long filamentary cell projections. Studies of
zebrafish of the scientists of the European Zebrafish Resource Center (EZRC) of
KIT revealed how the transport of the signaling molecules influences signaling
properties.
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Control of cell differentiation in the central nervous system.
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Organisms,
organs, and tissues are complex three-dimensional systems that consist of
thousands of cells of various types. During embryonal development of
vertebrates, each cell requires information on the position at which it is
located in the tissue. This position information enables the cell to develop a
certain cell type for later execution of the correct function. This information
is transmitted via signal molecules, so-called morphogenes. These morphogenes
are not homogenously distributed in the tissue, their concentration varies.
Various concentrations activate various genes in the target cell.
The cells in
the developing central nervous system receive their position information from
signal molecules belonging to the family of Wnt proteins. The concentration of
Wnt proteins determines whether a cell differentiates to a cell of the
forebrain or of the afterbrain. "Smallest changes of the concentration or
the transport direction may cause severe damage, such as massive malformations
during embryonal development or formation of cancer."
For the first
time now, the working group of Dr. Steffen Scholpp has shown that the Wnt
proteins are transmitted specifically via long cell projections, so-called
filopodia. In the Nature Communications journal, the scientists report that the
signaling factors are loaded on the tips of the filopodia only. In this way,
signaling can start immediately upon contacting. The signaling factors bind to
the corresponding receptors of the target cell and induce the correct cell
response.
Posted By:-
Biotechnology Department
