During embryo development, concentration gradients of signalling molecules instruct formation of different cell types. How these gradients adapt to variable embryo sizes to form a properly scaled individual remains elusive. A simple system of an activator and an inhibitor, with different diffusion properties, may give an answer.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Self-sustained planar intercalations due to mechanosignaling feedbacks lead to robust axis extension during morphogenesis
Scientific Reports Open Access 03 July 2020
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Wolpert, L. J. Theor. Biol. 25, 1–47 (1969).
Umulis, D. M. & Othmer, H. G. Development 24, 4830–4843 (2013).
Almuedo-Castillo, M. et al. Nat. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0155-7 (2018).
Driever, W. & Nüsslein-Volhard, C. Cell 54, 83–93 (1988).
Teleman, A. A. & Cohen, S. M. Cell 103, 971–980 (2000).
Bökel, C. & Brand, M. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 23, 415–22 (2013).
Spemann, H. Arch. Entwicklung. Org. 4, 551–631 (1903).
Reversade, B. & De Robertis, E. M. Cell 123, 1147–1160 (2005).
Ben-Zvi, D. et al. Nature 453, 1205–1211 (2008).
Inomata, H. et al. Cell 153, 1296–1311 (2013).
Müller, P. et al. Science 336, 721–724 (2012).
Robertson, E. J. Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 32, 73–79 (2014).
Willadsen, S. M. Nature 277, 298–300 (1979).
Chan, A. W. et al. Science 287, 317–319 (2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garric, L., Bakkers, J. Shaping up with morphogen gradients. Nat Cell Biol 20, 998–999 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0168-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0168-2