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Activation of BMP Receptor-IA induces dorsal patterning and proliferation of CNS precursors. Shown here is a transverse head section of an embryonic mouse expressing an activated form of the gene Bmpr-1a under the control of a CNS precursor-specific promoter. The forebrain (top) and midbrain are transformed into choroid plexus, a thin cuboidal epithelium that is the most dorsal cell type in the anterior CNS. The hindbrain (bottom) and spinal cord are also dorsalized and show increased precursor proliferation. Activation of BMPR-IA induces Bmpr-1b gene expression, and the subsequent activation of BMPR-IB causes cell death or terminal differentiation. By activating these two receptors sequentially, BMPs can tightly control both the production and differentiation of dorsal CNS precursors from multipotent stem cells. (For details, see Panchision et al., p. 2094.)