Molecular shaping of the beak.
Beak shape is a classic example of evolutionary diversification. Beak development in chicken and duck was used to examine morphological variations among avian species. There is only one proliferative zone in the frontonasal mass of chickens, but two in ducks. These growth zones are associated with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) activity. By "tinkering" with BMP4 in beak prominences, the shapes of the chicken beak can be modulated.
Wu
Ping
P
Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Jiang
Ting-Xin
TX
Suksaweang
Sanong
S
Widelitz
Randall Bruce
RB
Chuong
Cheng-Ming
CM
D000818:Animals; D001502:Beak / Q000196:embryology*; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002455:Cell Division; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004372:Ducks / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D000099176:Noggin Protein
D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein