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First published online December 31, 2008

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Early steps for integrins

It has been known for more than a decade that β1 integrins are essential for the formation of primitive germ layers from the inner cell mass (ICM), but how these integrins regulate ICM morphogenesis has been more difficult to decipher. Here, Shaohua Li, Reinhard Fässler and colleagues (p. 233) use the mouse embryonic-stem-cell-derived embryoid body (EB) to dissect the early stages of morphogenesis. By ablating β1 integrin in EBs, they show that β1 integrins are essential for the adhesion of endoderm cells to the basement membrane. Moreover, endoderm differentiation can be divided into two steps – lineage commitment and maturation – and β1 integrins are only required for maturation. In the absence of β1 integrins, the endoderm-specific transcription factor GATA4, which regulates laminin synthesis, is expressed, but does not translocate to the nucleus. Interestingly, β3 integrin can substitute for β1 integrin in the endoderm and, when transfected, causes correct localization of GATA4 to the nucleus and expression of laminin. Finally, the authors show that the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2 and p38 mediate integrin-dependent GATA4 nuclear translocation and endoderm maturation. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into how β1-mediated signalling regulates the differentiation of the visceral endoderm.

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Related articles in JCS:

Integrins are required for the differentiation of visceral endoderm

Jie Liu, Xiaowen He, Siobhan A. Corbett, Stephen F. Lowry, Alan M. Graham, Reinhard Fässler, and Shaohua Li
JCS 2009 122: 233-242. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?