ABSTRACT
Anteroposterior elongation of the vertebrate body plan is driven by convergence and extension (C&E) gastrulation movements in both the mesoderm and neuroectoderm, but how or whether molecular regulation of C&E differs between tissues remains an open question. Using a zebrafish explant model of anteroposterior axis extension, we show that C&E of the neuroectoderm and mesoderm can be uncoupled ex vivo, and that morphogenesis of individual tissues results from distinct morphogen signaling dynamics. Using precise temporal manipulation of BMP and Nodal signaling, we identify a critical developmental window during which high or low BMP/Nodal ratios induce neuroectoderm- or mesoderm-driven C&E, respectively. Increased BMP activity similarly enhances C&E specifically in the ectoderm of intact zebrafish gastrulae, highlighting the in vivo relevance of our findings. Together, these results demonstrate that temporal dynamics of BMP and Nodal morphogen signaling activate distinct morphogenetic programs governing C&E gastrulation movements within individual tissues.
Footnotes
Author contributions
Conceptualization: A.A.E., M.K.W.; Methodology: A.A.E., M.H., N.D.L., M.K.W.; Validation: M.H.; Formal analysis: A.A.E., M.H., S.G., C.C., M.K.W.; Investigation: A.A.E., M.K.W.; Resources: N.D.L.; Data curation: S.G., C.C.; Writing - original draft: A.A.E.; Writing - review & editing: M.K.W.; Visualization: A.A.E., M.H.; Supervision: C.C., M.K.W.; Funding acquisition: C.C., M.K.W.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R00HD091386 and R01HD104784 to M.K.W.; T32ES027801 and F31GM149166 to A.A.E.). S.G. and C.C. were partially supported by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) (RP210227 and RP200504). Deposited in PMC for release after 12 months.
Data availability
Raw RNA-sequencing data are available in NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus under accession number GSE246158.
