Fig. 4. Epistasis experiments by mRNA misexpression. (A-B')
Misexpression of ca-alk8 leads to a spherical embryonic shape in
wild-type and MZspg embryos at the end of gastrulation, indicating
ventralization. (C,C') A similar ventralization is seen
after bmp2b misexpression in wild-type and MZspg embryos.
(D-G) In situ hybridization analysis for pax2.1, krox20, ntl and
myod expression. (D) Dorsal view of a non injected wild-type embryo. (D')
Non-injected MZspg embryo, dorsal view shows ntl expression;
inset shows ventral view with somitic myod expression in
MZspg. (E,E') Expression of neuroectodermal genes such as
krox20 and pax2.1, and of axial or paraxial markers such as
ntl and myod is repressed or lost in MZspg embryos
at the end of gastrulation. (F,F') A similar repression of
neuroectodermal and paraxial markers is observed in bmp2b
misexpressing wild-type and MZspg embryos. (G) bmp4
misexpression leads to a similar ventralization of MZspg as obtained
by bmp2b misexpression. (H) Injection of bmp2b mRNA
is not able to rescue endodermal sox17 expression in MZspg
at tb stage. (I) Wild-type bmp2b expression. (J,K,M,N) Embryos
injected with c.a.alk8-mRNA. (J) ca-alk8
misexpression slightly enhances bmp2b expression in the wild type and
restores bmp2b initiation in MZspg to the wild-type
expression level (K). (L) bmp4 is not expressed at
sphere stage in the wild type. (M) ca-alk8 misexpression
causes slight ectopic bmp4 expression at oblong-sphere stage in
wild-type and MZspg embryos (N). (O-R) Embryos injected
with XFD-mRNA. (O) XFD misexpression in the wild type leads to upregulation of
bmp2b when compared with bmp2b expression of non-injected
wild-type embryos (inset; upper embryo, 50% epiboly; lower embryo, shield
stage). (P) bmp2b expression fully restores in XFD-injected
MZspg embryos. (Q) bmp4 expression is not sensitive to XFD
misexpression in wild-type embryos (inset shows non-injected wild-type
embryos; upper embryo, 50% epiboly; lower embryo, shield stage). (R)
bmp4 is not restored in XFD-injected MZspg embryos.