The organizer area plays a central role in the formation of the embryonic axis and the central nervous system of all vertebrates including the human fetus. In The Vertebrate Organizer outstanding molecular development biologists and embryologists report their latest approaches in this fascinating research area using different vertebrate model organisms. The presented data are of central importance for the understanding of early human embryogenesis.

Early Steps Leading to the Formation of the Organizer

1 Maternal VegT and ?-Catenin: Patterning the Xenopus Blastula
2 Short-Versus Long-Range Effects of Spemann's Organizer
3 Formation of the Endoderm in Xenopus
4 Role of Fox Genes During Xenopus Embryogenesis
The Role of the Organizer
5 The Molecular Nature of Spemann's Organizer
6 The Community Effect in Xenopus Development
7 Regulation of Spemann's Organizer Formation
8 Transcriptional Repression in Spemann's Organizer and the Formation of Dorsal Mesoderm
9 Wnt Signals and Antagonists: The Molecular Nature of Spemann's Head Organizer
10 Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proneural Genes and Neurogenesis in Xenopus Embryos
11 Organizer Activities Mediated by Retinoic Acid Signaling
12 Wnt Signalling and Regulation of Gastrulation Movements
The Organizer and Pattern Formation
13 How Cell-Cell Adhesion Contributes to Early Embryonic Development
14 Patterning Non-neural Ectoderm by Organizer-Modulated Homeodomain Factors
Axis Formation and Organogenesis
15 Embryonic Organogenesis and Body Formation in Amphibian Development
16 Organizing the Eye
17 A Critical Role for Retinoid Receptors in Axial Patterning and Neuronal Differentiation
18 Molecular Patterning of the Embryonic Brain
19 Epidermal, Neuronal and Glial Cell Fate Choice in the Embryo
20 Downstream of the Organizer: The Xenopus Cement Gland as a Model for Organ Positioning and Differentiation
Organizer Formation in Different Vertebrates
21 The Organizer in Amphibians with Large Eggs: Problems and Perspectives
22 Formation and Functions of the Gastrula Organizer in Zebrafish
23 Hensen's Node: The Embryonic Organizer of the Chick
24 Formation and Function of the Mouse Organizer.