Dose-dependent Nodal/Smad signals pattern the early mouse embryo

Nodal signals in the early post-implantation stage embryo are essential to establish initial proximal-distal (P-D) polarity and generate the final anterior-posterior (A-P) body axis. Nodal signaling in the epiblast results in the phosphorylation of Smad2 in the overlying visceral endoderm necessary...