Hierarchy of regulatory events in sensory placode development.
Cranial placodes are a uniquely vertebrate characteristic; they form the paired sense organs of the eyes, ears and nose, in addition to the distal parts of some of the cranial sensory ganglia. These focal ectodermal thickenings have been studied from an embryological perspective in a diversity of organisms, revealing tissue interactions that are crucial for the morphological formation of the different placodes. In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in understanding the induction and differentiation of these deceptively simple ectodermal regions. This has led to a wealth of information on the molecular cues governing these processes. In particular, the integration of signals at the level of 'placode-specific' enhancers is beginning to provide a glimpse into the complexity of genetic networks that function within this embryonic cell population to generate key components of the peripheral nervous system.
Bhattacharyya
Sujata
S
Division of Biology, MC 139-74, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Bronner-Fraser
Marianne
M
D000818:Animals; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins