Vertebrates have a unique 3D body shape in which correct tissue and organ shape and
alignment are essential for function. For example, vision requires the lens to be centred in the …

The classical view of neural plate development held that it arises from the ectoderm, after its
separation from the mesodermal and endodermal lineages. However, recent cell-lineage-…

Gli family zinc finger proteins are mediators of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in vertebrates.
The question remains unanswered, however, as to how these Gli proteins participate in …

lefty-1, lefty-2, and nodal are expressed on the left side of developing mouse embryos and
are implicated in left-right (LR) determination. The role of lefty-1 was examined by analyzing …

The secretion and extracellular transport of Wnt protein are thought to be well-regulated
processes. Wnt is known to be acylated with palmitic acid at a conserved cysteine residue (…

… I thank Professor Hisato Kondoh for his generous support, encouragement and discussions;
… I also thank Drs Hisato Kondoh and Brigid LM Hogan for critically reading the manuscript. …

The SOX family of high-mobility group (HMG) domain proteins has recently been recognized
as a key player in the regulation of embryonic development and in the determination of the …

Sox transcription factors play widespread roles during development; however, their versatile
funtions have a relatively simple basis: the binding of a Sox protein alone to DNA does not …

Neuropilin is a type 1 membrane protein, which is highly conserved among Xenopus frog,
chicken and mouse. The extracellular part of the neuropilin protein is composed of three …

Pax6 is a key transcription factor in eye development, particularly in lens development, but
its molecular action has not been clarified. We demonstrate that Pax6 initiates lens …