The role of the anterior neural ridge and Fgf-8 in early forebrain patterning and regionalization in Xenopus laevis

The tissue, cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate early regional specification of the vertebrate forebrain are largely unknown. We studied the expression patterns of Xbf-1, an anterior (and telencephalon) neural-specific winged helix transcription factor and Fgf-8, an early-secreted factor. This study looked at Xbf-1 and Fgf-8 expression in combination with embryonic grafting experiments and also used beads containing the recombinant Fgf-8 protein to determine these factors' effects upon forebrain patterning events. We provide evidence that additional Fgf-8 displaces Xbf-1 expression posteriorly, suggesting a concentration dependence of Fgf-8 for the early distinct regionalization of the telencephalic primordia. Also, additional stage 15 mid-anterior neural ridge (mANR) transplants inhibited telencephalon development, whereas lateral ANR transplants facilitated increased areas of telencephalon development. In both cases, these transplantations promoted ectopic expression of Xbf-1. These studies suggested that the distinct regionalization of the forebrain primordia involves the inhibitory actions of the mANR towards a telencephalon development and maintaining bilateral telencephali. These telencephalic primordia are initially localized by optimal Fgf-8 expression. The anterior mANR will eventually become the anterior and rostral diencephalic tissue. This in vivo study demonstrated Fgf-8 and the mANR are important in forebrain regionalization. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.