Summary
Human recombinant activin A, which is identical with erythroid differentiation factor (EDF), was tested for its mesoderm-inducing activity in concentrations from 0.3–50 ng/ml, using ectoderm of Xenopus late blastula (Stage 9) as the responding tissue. At a low concentration of activin A, blood-like cells, mesenchyme, and coelomic epithelium were induced; at a moderate concentration muscle and neural tissue, and at a high concentration notochord. Activin A thus induced all mesodermal tissues in a dose-dependent manner, such that a low dose induced ventral structures and a high dose induced dorsal structures. Activin may act as an intrinsic inducing molecule responsible for establishing the dorso-ventral axis in early Xenopus development.
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Ariizumi, T., Moriya, N., Uchiyama, H. et al. Concentration-dependent inducing activity of activin A. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 200, 230–233 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361342
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361342