TY - JOUR TI - BMP and FGF signaling interact to pattern mesoderm by controlling basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor activity AU - Row, Richard H AU - Pegg, Amy AU - Kinney, Brian A AU - Farr, Gist H, 3rd AU - Maves, Lisa AU - Lowell, Sally AU - Wilson, Valerie AU - Martin, Benjamin L A2 - Yelon, Deborah VL - 7 PY - 2018 DA - 2018/06/07 SP - e31018 C1 - eLife 2018;7:e31018 DO - 10.7554/eLife.31018 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.31018 AB - The mesodermal germ layer is patterned into mediolateral subtypes by signaling factors including BMP and FGF. How these pathways are integrated to induce specific mediolateral cell fates is not well understood. We used mesoderm derived from post-gastrulation neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs), which undergo a binary mediolateral patterning decision, as a simplified model to understand how FGF acts together with BMP to impart mediolateral fate. Using zebrafish and mouse NMPs, we identify an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of BMP and FGF-mediated mediolateral mesodermal patterning that occurs through modulation of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor activity. BMP imparts lateral fate through induction of Id helix loop helix (HLH) proteins, which antagonize bHLH transcription factors, induced by FGF signaling, that specify medial fate. We extend our analysis of zebrafish development to show that bHLH activity is responsible for the mediolateral patterning of the entire mesodermal germ layer. KW - neuromesodermal progenitor KW - FGF KW - BMP KW - mesoderm KW - morphogen KW - bHLH JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -