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Signaling filopodia in vertebrate embryonic development

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Abstract

Next to classical diffusion-based models, filopodia-like cellular protrusions have been proposed to mediate long range signaling events and morphogen gradient formation during communication between distant cells. An increasing wealth of data indicates that in spite of variable characteristics of signaling filopodia in different biological contexts, they represent a paradigm of intercellular crosstalk which is presently being unraveled in a growing literature. Here, we summarize recent advances in investigating the morphology, cellular basis and function of signaling filopodia, with focus on their role during embryonic development in vertebrates.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to apologize to the authors whose work we could not mention in this review for reasons of space. We thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, SFB591 grant to M.S.), the Imhoff Stiftung, Cologne (to M.S.) and the Moritz-Stiftung, Cologne (to F.P.) for financial support.

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  1. Sagar

    Present address: Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108, Freiburg, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vertebrate Embryology, Institute of Anatomy II, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931, Cologne, Germany

    Felicitas Pröls,  Sagar & Martin Scaal

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Pröls, F., Sagar & Scaal, M. Signaling filopodia in vertebrate embryonic development. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 73, 961–974 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-015-2097-6

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