First published online April 13, 2005
Development 132, 905e (2005)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
A Hym for tentacle formation
Tentacle formation in hydra involves three steps: the specification of body
column tissue for the tentacle zone; commitment of spots in this zone to
tentacle formation; and, finally, tentacle formation itself. On p.
2225, Takahashi and
co-workers reveal that the peptide Hym-301, which was isolated in a screen for
peptides regulating hydra development, is involved in controlling the second
of these steps. The researchers show that the gene encoding Hym-301 is
expressed in the ectoderm of the tentacle zone in adults and in the developing
head during bud formation and head regeneration. Treatment of regenerating
heads with Hym-301 or with Hym-301 dsRNA alters the number of
tentacles formed. These and other results indicate that Hym-301 is involved in
axial patterning in hydra and raise the possibility that this and other
peptides that affect patterning in hydra may also act as signalling molecules
in bilaterians.
Related articles in Development:
- Hym-301, a novel peptide, regulates the number of tentacles formed in hydra
- Toshio Takahashi, Masayuki Hatta, Seungshic Yum, Lydia Gee, Masahiro Ohtani, Toshitaka Fujisawa, and Hans R. Bode
Development 2005 132: 2225-2234.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
