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First published online March 22, 2007

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Ripple effect in somite patterning

Segmental structures in vertebrates (the ribs, for example) develop from embryonic structures called somites - blocks of mesodermal cells that periodically bud off from the unsegmented presomitic mesoderm (PSM). Somite formation and the establishment of their rostro-caudal pattern require the transcription factor Mesp2. Now, Morimoto and colleagues reveal that negative regulation of Mesp2 by Ripply2, a putative transcriptional co-repressor, is required to establish rostro-caudal patterning within mouse somites (see p. 1561). Expression of Ripply2, the researchers report, is downregulated in Mesp2-null mice. Furthermore, Mesp2 binds to the Ripply2 gene enhancer, indicating that Ripply2 is a direct target of Mesp2. Unexpectedly, given that Mesp2-null embryos fail to segment and have an extended caudal compartment in their PSM, Ripply2-null embryos have a rostralized phenotype because of prolonged Mesp2 expression. This and other findings suggest that Mesp2 activates Ripply2 but that Ripply2 negatively regulates Mesp2. This negative-feedback loop, the authors propose, is an essential component of the regulatory network that establishes rostro-caudal patterning within somites.

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Related articles in Development:

The negative regulation of Mesp2 by mouse Ripply2 is required to establish the rostro-caudal patterning within a somite

Mitsuru Morimoto, Nobuo Sasaki, Masayuki Oginuma, Makoto Kiso, Katsuhide Igarashi, Ken-ichi Aizaki, Jun Kanno, and Yumiko Saga
Development 2007 134: 1561-1569. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?