Formation of spacing pattern and morphogenesis of chick feather buds is regulated by cytoskeletal structures.
Chick feather buds develop sequentially in a hexagonal array. Each feather bud develops with anterior posterior polarity, which is thought to develop in response to signals derived from specialized regions of mesenchymal condensation and epithelial thickening. These developmental processes are performed by cellular mechanisms, such as cell proliferation and migration, which occur during chick feather bud development. In order to understand the mechanisms regulating the formation of mesenchymal condensation and their role in feather bud development, we explanted chick dorsal skin at stage HH29+ with cytochalasin D, which inhibits cytoskeletal formation. We show that the aggregation of mesenchymal cells can be prevented by cytochalasin D treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Subsequently, cytochalasin D disrupts the spacing pattern and inhibits feather bud axis formation as well. In addition, expression patterns of Bmp-4 and Msx-2, key molecules for early feather bud development, were disturbed by cytochalasin D treatment. Our results fully indicate that both the cytoskeletal structure and cell activity via gene regulation are of fundamental importance in mesenchymal condensation leading to proper morphogenesis of feather bud and spacing pattern formation.
Kim
Jae-Young
JY
Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology Research Center for Orofacial Hard Tissue Regeneration, Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
Cho
Sung-Won
SW
Song
Wu-Chul
WC
Lee
Min-Jung
MJ
Cai
Jinglei
J
Ohk
Seung-Ho
SH
Song
Hee-Kyung
HK
Degan
Alexander
A
Jung
Han-Sung
HS
D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002642:Chick Embryo; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005241:Feathers / Q000196:embryology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C084119:MSX2 protein; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D015739:Nocodazole