Vesicles may help embryos take shape
By John Travis
Over the past decade, biologists have discovered a variety of chemicals whose
varying concentrations within an embryo set up the organism’s body plan. The researchers have thought that these so-called morphogens create chemical maps by
simply diffusing through an embryo.
Yet many morphogens tend to stick to cells, making it difficult to imagine the
chemicals diffusing for any distance. A new report suggests that morphogens may be
hitching long-distance rides in sacs made of cellular membranes. In the Sept. 7