WNT signaling, in synergy with T/TBX6, controls Notch signaling by regulating Dll1 expression in the presomitic mesoderm of mouse embryos

  1. Michael Hofmann1,
  2. Karin Schuster-Gossler2,
  3. Masami Watabe-Rudolph2,
  4. Alexander Aulehla1,
  5. Bernhard G. Herrmann1,3,4, and
  6. Achim Gossler2,5
  1. 1Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology, Stübeweg 51, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany; 2Institute for Molecular Biology OE5250, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, D-30625 Hannover, Germany

Abstract

Notch signaling in the presomitic mesoderm (psm) is critical for somite formation and patterning. Here, we show that WNT signals regulate transcription of the Notch ligand Dll1 in the tailbud and psm. LEF/TCF factors cooperate with TBX6 to activate transcription from the Dll1 promoter in vitro. Mutating either T or LEF/TCF sites in the Dll1 promoter abolishes reporter gene expression in vitro as well as in the tail bud and psm of transgenic embryos. Our results indicate that WNT activity, in synergy with TBX6, regulates Dll1 transcription and thereby controls Notch activity, somite formation, and patterning.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.1248604.

  • 3 Present address: Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihne-straße 73, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.

  • Corresponding authors.

  • 4 E-MAIL herrmann{at}molgen.mpg.de; FAX 49-30-8413-1229.

  • 5 E-MAIL gossler.achim{at}mh-hannover.de; FAX 49-511-532-4283.

    • Accepted September 13, 2004.
    • Received August 11, 2004.
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