DMMC Course: MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY IN ACTION

0930-1050 Monday 21 February 2005. Conway Institute Lecture Theatre, UCD

Early development and neural induction in Xenopus Dr Carmel Hensey, UCD

Development results from the coordinated behaviour of cells. The major processes involved in development are cell division, pattern formation, morphogenesis or change in form, cell differentiation, cell migration, cell death and growth. Genes control cell behaviour by controlling when and where proteins are synthesised and thus cell biology provides the link between gene action and developmental processes.

Inductive interactions are one of the main ways of changing cell fate and directing development. This lecture will review the early patterning events in the vertebrate Xenopus, specifically the regulation of BMP and Wnt signalling pathways during early patterning and neural induction.