Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Identification of a potent Xenopus mesoderm-inducing factor as a homologue of activin A

Nature volume 345, pages 729–731 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

THE first inductive interaction in amphibian development is mesoderm induction, when a signal from the vegetal hemisphere of the blastula induces mesoderm from overlying equatorial cells1,2. Recently, several 'mesoderm-inducing factors' (MIFs) have been discovered. These cause isolated Xenopus animal caps to form mesodermal cell types such as muscle, instead of their normal fate of epidermis. The MIFs fall into two classes. One comprises members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family3–5, and the other members of the transforming growth factor type β (TGF-β) family6–7. Of the latter group, the most potent is XTC-MIF, a protein produced by Xenopus XTC cells8–10. Here we show that XTC-MIF is the homologue of mammalian activin A. Activins modulate the release of follicle-stimulating hormone from cultured anterior pituitary cells11,12 and cause the differentiation of two erythroleukaemia cell lines13,14. Our results indicate that these molecules may also act in early development during formation of the mesoderm.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Smith, J. C. Development 105, 665–677 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Dawid, I. B., Sargent, T. D. & Rosa, F. Curr. Topics dev. Biol. (in the press).

  3. Slack, J. M. W., Darlington, B. G., Heath, J. K. & Godsave, S. F. Nature 326, 197–200 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kimelman, D. & Kirschner, M. Cell 51, 869–877 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Paterno, G. D., Gillespie, L. L., Dixon, M. S., Slack, J. M. W. & Heath, J. K. Development 106, 79–83 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Rosa, F. et al. Science 239, 783–785 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Weeks, D. L. & Melton, D. A. Cell 51, 861–867 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Smith, J. C. Development 99, 3–14 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Smith, J. C., Yaqoob, M. & Symes, K. Development 103, 591–600 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Green, J. B. A., Howes, G., Symes, K., Cooke, J. & Smith, J. C. Development 108, 173–183 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Vale, W. et al. Nature 321, 776–779 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ling, N. et al. Nature 321, 779–782 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Eto, Y. et al. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 142, 1095–1103 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Murata, M., Eto, Y., Shibai, H., Sakai, M. & Muramatsu, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 2434–2438 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Tucker, R. F., Shipley, G. D., Moses, H. L. & Holley, R. W. Science 226, 705–707 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Mason, A. J., Berkmeier, L. M., Schmelzer, C. H. & Schwall, R. H. Molec. Endocr. 3, 1352–1358 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Asahima, M. et al. Wilhelm Roux Arch. dev. Biol. 198, 330–335 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. van den Eijnden-Van Raaij et al. Nature 345, 732–734 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ying, S.-Y. Endocrine Rev. 9, 267–293 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Broxmeyer, H. E. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 9052–9056 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Cooke, J., Smith, J. C., Smith, E. J. & Yaqoob, M. Development 101, 893–908 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Cooke, J. & Smith, J. C. Devl Biol. 131, 383–400 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nieuwkoop, P. D. & Faber, J. Normal Table of Xenopus laevis (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Slack, J. M. W. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 80, 321–330 (1984).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Schwall, R. H., Nikolics, K., Szonyi, E., Gorman, C. & Mason, A. J. Molec. Endocr. 2, 1237–1242 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mason, A. J., Berkemeier, L. M., Schmeizer, C. H. & Schwall, R. H. Molec. Endocr. 3, 1352–1358 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Forage, R. G. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 3091–3095 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Roberts, A. B. et al. Growth Factors 2, 135–147 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Padgett, R. W., St. Johnston, R. D. & Gelbart, W. M. Nature 325, 81–84 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Cheifetz, S. et al. Cell 48, 409–415 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Derynck, R. et al. EMBO J. 7, 3737–3743 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. ten Dijke, P., Hansen, P., Iwata, K. K., Pieler, C. & Foulkes, J. G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 4715–4719 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Jakowlew, S. B., Dillard, P. J., Sporn, M. B. & Roberts, A. B. Molec. Endocr. 2, 1186–1195 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Danielpour, D., Dart, L. L., Flanders, K. C., Roberts, A. B. & Sporn, M. B. J. Cell Physiol. 138, 79–86 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Embryogenesis, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK

    J. C. Smith & B. M. J. Price

  2. Innogenetics, Industriepark Zwijnaarde 7, Box 4, B-9710, Ghent, Belgium

    K. Van Nimmen & D. Huylebroeck

Authors
  1. J. C. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. M. J. Price
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. Van Nimmen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. Huylebroeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, J., Price, B., Nimmen, K. et al. Identification of a potent Xenopus mesoderm-inducing factor as a homologue of activin A. Nature 345, 729–731 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345729a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/345729a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing