BMP signaling is essential for development of skeletogenic and neurogenic cranial neural crest.
BMP signaling is essential for a wide variety of developmental processes. To evaluate the role of Bmp2/4 in cranial neural crest (CNC) formation or differentiation after its migration into the branchial arches, we used Xnoggin to block their activities in specific areas of the CNC in transgenic mice. This resulted in depletion of CNC cells from the targeted areas. As a consequence, the branchial arches normally populated by the affected neural crest cells were hypomorphic and their skeletal and neural derivatives failed to develop. In further analyses, we have identified Bmp2 as the factor required for production of migratory cranial neural crest. Its spatial and temporal expression patterns mirror CNC emergence and Bmp2 mutant embryos lack both branchial arches and detectable migratory CNC cells. Our results provide functional evidence for an essential role of BMP signaling in CNC development.
Kanzler
B
B
Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology, Stübeweg 51, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany.
Foreman
R K
RK
Labosky
P A
PA
Mallo
M
M
D000818:Animals; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000196:embryology; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000502:physiology*; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000099176:Noggin Protein
D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C525719:Bmp2 protein, mouse; C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse