TGFss signals belonging to the Nodal family set up the embryonic axes, induce mesoderm and endoderm, pattern the nervous system, and determine left-right asymmetry in vertebrates. Nodal signaling activates a canonical TGFss pathway involving activin receptors, Smad2 transcription factors, and FoxH1 coactivators. In addition, Nodal signaling is dependent on coreceptors of the EGF-CFC family and antagonized by the Lefty and Cerberus families of secreted factors. Additional modulators of Nodal signaling include convertases that regulate the generation of the mature signal, and factors such as Arkadia and DRAP1 that regulate the cellular responses to the signal. Complex regulatory cascades and autoregulatory loops coordinate Nodal signaling during early development. Nodals have concentration-dependent roles and can act both locally and at a distance. These studies demonstrate that Nodal signaling is modulated at almost every level to precisely orchestrate tissue patterning during vertebrate embryogenesis.

中文翻译：

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脊椎动物发育中的节点信号。

属于Nodal家族的TGFss信号可建立胚胎轴，诱导中胚层和内胚层，对神经系统进行模式控制，并确定脊椎动物的左右不对称性。节点信号激活包括激活素受体，Smad2转录因子和FoxH1共激活因子的经典TGFss途径。此外，节点信号依赖于EGF-CFC家族的共受体，并受到分泌因子的Lefty和Cerberus家族的拮抗。Nodal信号转导的其他调节剂包括调节成熟信号生成的转化酶，以及调节细胞对该信号响应的因子（例如Arkadia和DRAP1）。复杂的调节级联反应和自调节循环在早期发育过程中协调Nodal信号传导。节点具有与浓度有关的作用，并且可以局部和远距离作用。