BMP morphogen gradients in flies

Morphogens are secreted molecules controlling the patterning of tissues and organs in a concentration-dependent manner. From their region of production (the source), morphogens form concentration gradients into the adjacent target tissue. Cells in the target tissue acquire positional information by reading the local morphogen concentration (or other morphogen parameters), and regulate target gene expression according to thresholds[1]. Thereby, morphogens can subdivide tissues into defined subdomains with distinct cell fates (French flag model) [2].
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Mini review Source Type: research