Molecular Regulation of Craniofacial Bone and Palate Development
Year: 2004
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The development of cranial bones and palate are complex processes where the development of multiple elements needs to be coordinated spatiotemporally to produce a working unit such as calvarium, cranial base, or palate. I have shown here that a common theme in the early development of craniofacial structures is balancing the level of proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cell populations by growth factor signalling so that large enough population of progenitor cells is formed before differentiation, or that proliferation is maintained for the outgrowth of the element. Here I show that a reduced proliferation of osteoprogenitor cells in mice lacking a forkhead/winged helix transcription factor Foxc1 prevents the outgrowth of calvarial bones. I further demonstrate that Foxc1 is required for bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) regulation of Msx2 and Alx4 to maintain this proliferation. Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signalling also plays an important role in regulating the proliferation of progenitor cell populations during craniofacial development as shown here by the expression patterns of different Fgf receptor isoforms in the proliferative osteoprogenitor cells in calvarial sutures, and in the proliferative chondrocytes in the cranial base synchondroses and mandibular condyles. Furthermore, I show that reiterative Fgf signalling between palatal shelf epithelium and mesenchyme is essential for maintaining proliferation and cell survival in these tissues to ensure outgrowth and morphogenesis of the palatal shelves.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Ritva Rice
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2162509321