Temporal and spatial regulation of competence in ascidian embryonic induction

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Molecular mechanisms by which signal-receiving cells respond to the same inductive signal differently to make different tissue types in development were analyzed using ascidian embryos. We found that posteriorly-localized maternal PEM makes different competence factor expression between the anterior and posterior regions of the embryo and that these region (or cell)-specific competence factors in cooperation with the inductive signal generate different tissue types. In addition, we identified FoxB as a factor responsible for the loss of competence to the above inductive signal.