Developmental Biology: Amphibians - Key Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms related to developmental biology in amphibians, specifically focusing on axis patterning and the roles of various proteins and genes in the development of the nervous system.

Anterior-posterior axis

A developmental body axis that runs from the head (anterior) to the tail (posterior) of an organism.

Maternal VegT/Vg1 mRNAs

Maternal mRNAs that play a role in mesoderm induction at fertilization.

Organizer

A region of the embryo that produces diffusible factors to regulate other tissues' development.

Noggin

A secreted protein that dorsalizes the embryo by inhibiting BMP activity.

Chordin

A second organizer protein that induces formation of a secondary axis when injected into ventral blastomeres.

Follistatin

An inhibitor of Activin and BMPs that induces neural tissue formation.

BMP4

Bone morphogenetic protein that promotes epidermal fate over neural identity in developing ectoderm.

Paracrine factors

Signaling molecules secreted by one cell to influence the behavior of neighboring cells.

Default model

Theory that the default fate of ectoderm is to become neural tissue unless inhibited by BMP signals.

Neurogenesis

The process of generating new neurons from neural stem cells.

Wnt proteins

Secreted proteins that play a crucial role in cell signaling and development, particularly in establishing the anterior-posterior axis.

Cerberus

A multifunctional antagonist of Nodal, BMP, and Wnt signaling involved in head formation.

Frzb (Frisbee)

A soluble form of frizzled that prevents Wnt from binding to its receptor.

Retinoic acid

A signaling molecule that helps pattern the hindbrain and is critical for the development of the central nervous system.

Hox genes

A group of related genes that control the body plan of an embryo along the anterior-posterior axis.

BMP antagonists

Proteins that inhibit BMP activity to promote neural development.

Dorsal blastopore lip

A region in the embryo that is integral in organizing surrounding tissues to form dorsal structures.