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Molecular basis of morphogenesis during vertebrate gastrulation

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Abstract

Gastrulation is a crucial step in early embryogenesis. During gastrulation, a set of morphogenetic processes takes place leading to the establishment of the basic body plan and formation of primary germ layers. A rich body of knowledge about these morphogenetic processes has been accumulated over decades. The understanding of the molecular mechanism that controls the complex cell movement and inductive processes during gastrulation remains a challenge. Substantial progress has been made recently to identify and characterize pathways and molecules implicated in the modulation of morphogenesis during vertebrate gastrulation. Here, we summarize recent findings in the analysis of signaling pathways implicated in gastrulation movements, with the aim to generalize the basic molecular principles of vertebrate morphogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

We apologize to colleagues whose work has not been cited due to space limitations and the broad scope of this review. This work was supported by a research grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (STE-613/4-1).

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  1. Department of Cancer Biology, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Yingqun Wang

  2. MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, 210061, Nanjing, China

    Yingqun Wang

  3. Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Herbert Steinbeisser

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  1. Yingqun Wang
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Correspondence to Yingqun Wang.

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Wang, Y., Steinbeisser, H. Molecular basis of morphogenesis during vertebrate gastrulation. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 66, 2263–2273 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-009-0018-2

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